Place de l'Opéra Paris, IDF 75009
Seated: 700
The huge, richly decorated foyers are the special haunt of audiences during intervals. The Avant-Foyer stands out for its mosaic-covered vault in shimmering colours on a gold background, offering a magnificent view of the Grand Staircase hall and the Carré des Caryatides.The Grand Foyer was designed by Charles Garnier to echo the galleries of Classical period châteaux. Its huge size is further accentuated through the play with mirrors and windows. The magnificent ceiling painted by Paul Baudry illustrates musical themes. The lyre, the main decorative component, dominates the entire decorative vocabulary, on capitals, heating grids, and door handles alike. A copy of the bust of Charles Garnier by the sculptor Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux stands in the center of the foyer, near one of the windows providing a view down the Avenue de l’Opéra as far as the Louvre. The two galleries communicate, providing plenty of room for Gala dinners (up to 700 people).