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50-550: Designed by Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott , it is situated facing Place de la Bastille . It may seat 2,723 people in total, with a main theatre, concert hall and studio theatre, making it the largest opera house in Europe. The idea of a new "popular and modern" opera house in Paris first arose in the 1880s, only years after the opening of the Palais Garnier . It would remain virtual for

100-664: A Fulbright Scholarship and went to study at the University of Hawaii and graduated with a Masters in Architecture and Urban Design from Washington University 's School of Architecture (now Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts ) in 1972. From 1972 to 1974, Ott worked as an architect for Baldwin & Cheshire Architects in Brunswick, Georgia , and for ARQUECO in San Jose, Costa Rica . In 1975, he moved to Toronto , Canada , working on

150-632: A 1977 report on the Opera's management and perspectives. In 1981, the newly elected President François Mitterrand included a new opera house in his large monument-building programme known as the " Grands Travaux ". The project was originally part of the Cité de la musique , a complex of musical institutions in North-Eastern Paris. It was quickly decided to separate it and to build it in the Bastille area of Paris,

200-572: A century and reemerge periodically due to the recurrent "crisis at the Opera" and to the limitations imposed on modern opera production by the palais Garnier. It was notably promoted in 1965–1968 by stage director Jean Vilar , the most prominent figure in "popular theatre" at the time, who had been commissioned a reform project for the National Opera Theatre and echoed composer Pierre Boulez ’ provocative appeal to "blow up opera houses", as well as by senior civil servant François Bloch-Lainé in

250-573: A new CBC headquarters and broadcast centre, and commercial and retail components and was an important project in the conversion of rail lands and industrial lands. Ott designed the Simcoe Place commercial tower. The project is documented in the book A building goes up: the making of a skyscraper by Mary Gooderham. After his house in Toronto burned down, Ott designed and built his own unique office and house on Lytton Boulevard in Toronto, nicknamed by locals as

300-523: A number of controversies and scandals in the house's first decade, from before its opening. In 1987, conductor Daniel Barenboim , who had previously led the orchestre de Paris , was hired to become the house's first Artistic Director, and began planning the first seasons. In January 1989, six months before inauguration, the company's board chairman Pierre Bergé , otherwise head of the Yves Saint Laurent fashion house, fired Barenboim, reportedly after

350-512: A rehearsal room that is identical in size and shape to the theatre's pit and stage areas. Notes Sources Carlos Ott Carlos Adolfo Ott (born October 16, 1946) is a Uruguayan - Canadian architect . He became famous when he won the international design competition in 1983 for the construction of the Opéra Bastille in Paris , which was inaugurated on July 14, 1989 (bicentennial of

400-686: A relatively working-class district that also evoked the French Revolution and was a traditional starting or ending point for demonstrations . The following year, an international competition was launched, under supervision of the Opéra Bastille Public Corporation (EPOB), to select an architect. 756 entries were received, and, in November 1983, the competition was won by little-known architect Carlos Ott , an Uruguayan living in Canada. It

450-489: A work in the afternoon and to perform another one in the evening within the same space, something impossible at the Palais Garnier. The use of such platforms also makes it considerably easier to use three-dimensional sets rather than traditional flat images. Under the stage is a giant elevator, which is used to lower unused set platforms to an underground storehouse as large as the backstage itself. The building also includes

500-417: Is Miami's first supertall skyscraper. It has 100 floors, its design consisting of nine offset cubes. The bottom three are a hotel, four through eight are residences and cube nine are penthouse units. As described by Ott, "the concept was to make an iconic sculpture that defied the laws of gravity situating the different blocks in different positions, which in addition created unique views from each space". Ott

550-644: Is a massive 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m ) building of courts and office space. Completed in 2007, it is the largest court facility in Canada. Some of Ott's current work includes the Atchugarry Museum of Contemporary Art in Maldonado, Uruguay, completed in 2022, and the in-progress Waldorf Astoria Residences in Miami, Florida, and the in-progress Six Fifty 17 condominium tower in Denver, Colorado. The Waldorf Astoria

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600-564: Is known for his iconic and innovative designs. When asked about The Proscenium project for Rockwell in The Philippines, Ott remarked "If they expect a shoebox building from me, they will be disappointed." According to Ott, creating landmarks is not his primary aim. His aim is to design beautiful buildings that work in harmony with their environment. When asked if The Proscenium would become a Philippine landmark, he replied "Only future generations can tell. A painter cannot judge his own paintings,

650-488: Is no "royal" or "presidential box"; instead, one of the regular seats in the arena, on the " VIP " row (row 15) just after the central aisle, is considered the presidential seat, although not all Presidents since 1989 have been avid opera-goers. Due to its size, the auditorium is frequently—and unfavourably—called a "vessel", and, compared to other world-class opera houses, the acoustics have been described as at best disappointing. One technical feature destined to make it better

700-422: Is that the floor of the orchestra pit is actually a small elevator, which makes it possible to adapt the pit to the requirements of the performance, elevating it for a smaller orchestra and lowering it for a larger and louder one; in its largest configuration, the pit has room for 130 players. The hall is generally cold in colour due to the prominence of grey granite , black or white stone and black fabric in

750-812: The Al-Futtaim Group (Dubai), the New Dubai Creek Hilton Hotel (Dubai). In 1993, Carlos Ott won several other competitions in Europe such as the Salle de Spectacles (Espace François-Mitterrand) in Mont-de-Marsan , France and the Thomson Headquarters Building, Offices and Laboratories in Geneva, Switzerland . In 1992, Ott opened an office in Montevideo, Uruguay, serving South America, and becoming

800-600: The French Revolution ). Starting from an office in Toronto , Canada, Ott has since expanded his practice internationally. Ott's practice is headquartered in Montevideo , Uruguay , with offices in Dubai , Montreal , Shanghai and Toronto. Ott has designed buildings in Argentina, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Paraguay, The Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates,

850-493: The Royal Ontario Museum expansion project for Moffat, Moffat Kinoshita & Associates Architects as associate architect. In 1976, Ott became a Canadian citizen. From 1979 until 1983, Ott served Cadillac Fairview Corporation as architect responsible for commercial and multi-purpose projects in Canada. From 1983 to 1993, he joined NORR Partnership Ltd, located in Toronto, the largest Canadian firm, as partner, heading

900-399: The stage : the stage area is flanked left and right with areas of the same size, and these three areas are replicated towards the back of the theatre. A system of rails and a rotating dock make it possible to roll entire sets on and off on giant motorised platforms in a few minutes and to store these platforms on the available backstage spots; quick changes of set enable the artists to rehearse

950-726: The 'Hollywood Squares' for its matrix-like design. Ott had to overcome local opposition to its unique design. He continues to use it today when in Toronto. In 1992, Ott was selected by the Government of Canada to conceptualize a new Federal Courts Building in Ottawa , Canada in the Judicial Quarter. Ten years later, in 2003, it was announced that Ott's design would be constructed as the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Federal Courts Building . The Canadian Prime Minister at

1000-658: The Bastille and Ott's involvement is documented in the Canadian documentary film Building The Bastille made for the TVO Network of Ontario, Canada and available on YouTube. It was in this year 1983, that Ott started his own firm in Toronto. Ott returned to Toronto from France in 1989. Ott joined the team designing and building the Canadian Broadcasting Centre project in downtown Toronto. The mixed-use complex contained

1050-962: The Beijing Opera House, the Commercial and Residential GW Plaza, and won the contract for the National Grand Theater of Hangzhou, China. He has also designed the Dong Guan Yulan Theatre, the Wenzhou National Theatre and the Henan Art Centre. Ott has an office in Shanghai. In 2004, Ott designed the Calgary Courts Centre for the Government of Alberta to consolidate court operations in Calgary , Alberta. The building

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1100-621: The Cité de la musique. The concert hall, known as the Bastille Amphitheatre ( amphithéâtre Bastille ), was maintained and built. After massive budget overruns , the final construction cost was at 2.8 billion French francs . The building was inaugurated by François Mitterrand on 13 July 1989, on the eve of the 200th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille , in the presence of thirty-three foreign heads of state or heads of government. A semi-staged gala concert, directed by Robert Wilson under

1150-532: The Design and Architecture Division. Under his direction, important projects in Canada and the United Arab Emirates were designed and built, including Simcoe Place (Toronto), Mixed Use Complex and Residential/Commercial Development for HE Sheik Tahnoon in Dubai , Union National Bank (Dubai), National Bank of Dubai Headquarters (Dubai, completed 1998) and Union National Bank ( Abu Dhabi ). A missed opportunity

1200-767: The Libertad Plaza Building ( Buenos Aires, Argentina ); the Comandante Armando Tola International Airport (El Calafate, Provincia de Santa Cruz, Argentina); among others. Ott has designed several cultural projects in China. In 1997, he was invited to participate in the competition for the Jiang Su Opera House in Nanjing, China where he obtained first prize. As a result, he was invited into another series of very important competitions such as

1250-412: The Opera stands sociably open to the world outside, whereas the foyers, with their broad overview of the city, have the slick, impersonal look of an airport lounge." These foyers run around the theatre's auditorium on several levels and give the external glass facade its round shape. Access to the entrance hall is directly from the square at street level. Although a monumental external staircase leading to

1300-470: The Opéra Bastille offers an unrestricted view of the stage, it is the very same type of seat with the same level of comfort, and there are no boxes . Subtitles are visible from every seat except for those at the very back of the arena and of the first balcony. In 2005, two small standing room areas were created at the back of the arena; tickets are sold for €5, only on the evening of the performance. There

1350-516: The United States, and Uruguay. Ott was born in Montevideo , Uruguay . His father was an architect. He knew early that he wanted to be an architect. According to Ott, "I have been preparing for this all of my life." Ott was sharpening the pencils at his father's office at age three, and later made coffee for the draughtsmen and learning the basics of draughtsmanship at age five. "I'm one of those lucky fellows who knew what he wanted to do in life, at

1400-552: The age of five." Ott attended a French-language high school. At 15, he designed a modification used in a production vehicle for GM Uruguay. He was offered a position and training at GM's headquarters in Detroit , but turned it down to pursue architecture. In 1971, Ott graduated from the School of Architecture at the University of the Republic, Uruguay . Shortly after graduation, he received

1450-427: The building despite a judicial ruling in his favour. The building was as much a source of trouble as the leadership conflicts. As early as 1991, a few of the 36,000 Burgundy limestone panels covering the facade began to fall, which led to the installation of safety nets over some external walls in 1996; they were dubbed "condoms with holes" by the disgruntled Director. Several major alterations had to be carried out in

1500-629: The building, I say, 'Oh, what an idiot I was.'" In 1983, Ott won the international design competition for the Opera de la Bastille in Paris, France , to commemorate the 200-year anniversary of the French Revolution on July 14, 1989. Ott was selected from 744 participants as one of the three finalists and then hand-picked by French President François Mitterrand as the winner of this prestigious project. The project gave him international recognition and opened doors to many countries. In order to carry out

1550-719: The competition for the Sophien and Hufeland Clinic in Weimar , Germany in 1993, completed in 1998. Ott won several competitions in the United Arab Emirates such as: the Sheikh Zayed Road Development Project (Abu Dhabi), the National Bank of Abu Dhabi Headquarters (Abu Dhabi), Etisalat Telecom & Administration Building (Abu Dhabi), Majid Al Futtaim Project (Dubai), Baniyas Road Development (Dubai), Offices for

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1600-459: The conductor's refusal to cut his pay by half as well as due to his modernist stance, which Bergé deemed unfit for a "popular" opera house. It was also noted that Barenboim had been hired by a right-wing government, while Bergé was a prominent supporter and donor of the Socialist Party . This decision proved extremely controversial in the artistic field: Patrice Chéreau backed off the staging of

1650-525: The first-level foyer and a direct underground access from the Bastille subway station to the entrance hall were built, they were eventually closed. The theatre's auditorium was designed with 2,723 seats, later reduced to 2,703. It is organised in an arena format with two huge balconies at the back, with a few narrow balconies on the sides. It was a conscious, egalitarian, departure from the Palais Garnier, which has several dozen types of seats and does not offer stage visibility from all of them. Every seat at

1700-431: The following years, including that of the soundproofing structure and adjusting the orchestra pit 's acoustics; each change proved complex and sometimes involved court proceedings to determine who was responsible. The facade problems were not solved until 2009 with the installation of new tiles made of composite material and attached differently. However, many nets are still in place on facades in 2022. The Opéra Bastille

1750-544: The headquarters of his practice. From this new office, he completed projects such as the International Airport of Laguna del Sauce (Punta del Este, Uruguay); the International Airport of Ushuaia-Malvinas Argentinas (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina); the Punta Shopping Centre (Punta del Este, Uruguay); Torre Antel , the new headquarters for the state-owned telecommunications company ANTEL ( Montevideo, Uruguay );

1800-428: The house also included a small concert hall and a multi-purpose hall (" salle modulable "). The latter was a public request by Pierre Boulez, who had long been publicly lamenting the lack of a proper venue for contemporary music and experimental performances in Paris. However, due to the construction delays , it was eventually shelved, much to Boulez’ irritation, and a similar facility was eventually built as part of

1850-658: The inaugural gala, composer Pierre Boulez resigned from the Board of Directors, and Herbert von Karajan and Georg Solti , along with several other prominent conductors, signed a letter of protest and called for a boycott of the opéra Bastille, canceling their own concerts there. This made the search for a new artistic director difficult; in May, Bergé was finally able to announce the appointment of Korean pianist and conductor Myung-whun Chung , then young and practically unknown in France. Chung took

1900-438: The left-hand side of the facade was left partly hidden behind an older and smaller building, which was expected to give the impression that the opera house had been part of the area for a very long time. The building then elongates itself behind the facade following a generally triangular shape, hidden by other buildings around. The theatre is "surmounted by the opaque cube of the stage building and wrapped in gridded walls of glass…

1950-537: The memorial's site was moved to a different location and the site was re-designated for the Federal Courts building, although no final announcement to recommence the development process was made. The design remains in limbo and the site, estimated in value at CA$ 16 million, remains vacant. After Simcoe Place, the economy of Toronto faced a downturn. Ott's practice in collaboration with other architects expanded internationally. His next accomplishments followed, winning

2000-409: The new right-wing government led by Jacques Chirac considered canceling the project, but eventually decided it was too advanced and gave it the green light again. President Mitterrand remained personally involved throughout the building process, to the point that the planning team referred to him to decide on the seats’ colour following internal disagreement. (He chose black.) In the original project,

2050-400: The pit for the first opera performance in May 1990. Although his term was later extended to last until 2000, Chung was fired in 1994 after the right-wing coalition's election victory, the end of Pierre Bergé's board tenure and a power play with the company's Director designate, Hugues Gall , who cancelled his contract; at the height of the conflict, Chung was physically prevented from entering

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2100-408: The possibilities offered by the modern theatre: higher revenues due to the larger seating capacity , wider range of technical means for stage directors, better working environment, higher scheduling flexibility. The Opéra Bastille is located on the place de la Bastille . In order to make it "blend into" the landscape, the square was not remodelled to be aligned with it in a general parallel plan, but

2150-480: The structure and decoration as well as to the lightning from the giant white glass ceiling, although the use of pearwood for the seats and handrails and of oak for the floor brings a warmer, light brown touch. This modern design has been controversial ever since the house's opening, with part of the audience preferring the elaborately ornate and gilded decoration of the traditional Palais Garnier. The backstage occupies an enormous area (5,000 m), six times larger than

2200-547: The supervision of this project, he took a leave of absence from NORR, moved to Paris and formed a team of French architects. The project was very controversial politically, supported by Mitterrand and the French Left, and opposed by the French Right of Jacques Chirac , which caused work stoppages and an extra stage of competition. The project put a personal strain on Ott and his family and Ott and his wife divorced. The building of

2250-452: The time was Liberal Jean Chretien . It was planned to cost CA$ 151 million. However, this was cancelled by the subsequently elected Stephen Harper government, to be replaced by a memorial to victims of communism. The site had long been planned for a federal courts building and there was an outcry over the memorial. When the following government headed by Justin Trudeau government was elected,

2300-582: The title la Nuit avant le jour ( The Night Before the Day ), was conducted by Georges Prêtre and featured singers such as Teresa Berganza and Plácido Domingo . The Paris Opera's traditional Bastille Day free concert was given there the following day. The opera house was unfinished at the time of the official inauguration, and did not see its first opera performance until 17 March 1990, with Hector Berlioz ’ les Troyens , directed by Pier Luigi Pizzi . The Opéra Bastille's management and reputation were marred by

2350-502: The traditional house presents a mix of opera and ballet performances. Hugues Gall, who took over as the Paris National Opera's Director in 1995, was originally an opponent of the Bastille project, famously quipping that the new opera house was "the wrong answer to a problem that did not exist". In his nine-year term, he is however credited with stabilising the company's administrative, artistic and financial situation, partly due to

2400-439: Was originally expected to become the company's sole opera venue, with the Palais Garnier turned into a dedicated ballet venue. However, this strict division was abandoned in the 1990s when some operas were performed at the Palais Garnier and the company's ballet also danced at the Bastille. Since then, most opera performances take place at the modern house with some ballet performances and a few symphony concerts every season, while

2450-424: Was said that the jury, who—as it is common with architectural competitions—did not know the names or track-records of the entrants, mistakenly assumed the design was by the distinguished American architect Richard Meier . Construction began in 1984 with the demolition of the gare de la Bastille train station, which had opened in 1859 and closed in 1969, and where art expositions had been held thereafter. In 1986,

2500-638: Was the Burj Al Arab in Dubai. Ott had submitted a design to the emir's assistant, without signing his drawings. When Ott returned to Dubai three years later, he learned that his contact had been fired and that another firm was proceeding with a modified version of his design. "My building was identical to Burj Al Arab, but a bit taller. The main concepts—building on the water, a sail motif, a restaurant with an aquarium—were my ideas. The experience spoilt my relationship with myself, not with Dubai. When I drive by and look at

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