Building
Overall impression
some opera admirors seems the cold impersonal ambiance of the Opera Bastille. One of the salient features of the Opera Bastille is an efficient stage capable of speedy assembly and disassembly (it seemed like seconds to us).
It appeared to provide modern techniques and tools to facilitate the work of stage hands, directors and performers while at the same time allowing the public excellent viewing of the performance area.
In spite of a large imposing structure and a practical and modern building, the Opera Bastille seemed a bit anonymous to us. Our visit was affected by the muted colors and atmosphere that reigned the night we attended the popular opera. We felt removed from the performers and the soul of the opera house. It would benefit from an infusion of charm and warmth.
Indoor
Inside the building itself, you can enter the airy, winding lobbies, called “Panoramic Lobby” on a middle floor, with a refreshment bar and a curved wall of windows offering great views of the Bastille square and, in the distance, the top of the Eiffel Tower. The auditorium seats 2,700, not that large by major opera house standards. Yet it somehow feels bigger. The technical capacities of the house for mounting productions are impressive.
Outdoor
Ever since it opened, on July 14, 1989, the 200th anniversary to the day of the storming of the Bastille, the Opera Bastille has been a controversial place. The building itself, the main home of the Paris National Opera, it’s an imposing structure of sleek black stone, concrete and glass, all gleaming and modern, hideous to some, utterly cool to others.
Backstage
The space is nine times the size of the commodious stage. An entire set can be assembled in the equivalent of six floors below the stage area, readied to be elevated speedily into place in no time.