Charles Garnier (architect)

Charles Garnier ( born November 6, 1825 Paris, † August 3, 1898 in Paris ) was a French architect. His most famous work is named after him Opéra Garnier (also called " Palais Garnier " ), venue of the Paris Opera.

Life

Garnier comes from a humble background. After studying architecture in Paris, he worked among other things as a draftsman for one of the most renowned and influential French architect of his time, Eugène Viollet -le- Duc. 1848 Garnier wins the Prix de Rome. From 1849 to 1854 he lived in Rome, he also traveled to Greece and Turkey.

1858 married Charles Garnier Louise Bary (* 1836). The couple has two children Garnier. Son Tony (1869-1948) is also an architect and is considered along with Auguste Perret as one of the most important pioneers of Modernism.

Back in Paris wins the young and largely unknown architect in 1860, quite surprisingly the architectural competition for the construction of the new Paris Opera. He was able to prevail against his former mentor Viollet -le- Duc and secure one of the greatest works in Paris in the 19th century it even. After 15 years of building his opera house is in 1875 new style of Napoleon III. completed. Work on the opera should not let him go until his death.

Other works are the Théâtre Marigny Garnier in Paris, the concert hall of the Casino of Monte Carlo (1878/1879) and the Opéra de Monaco and - in collaboration with Gustave Eiffel - the Observatoire de Nice ( 1880-1892 ).

In 1874, shortly before the end of construction of the Opera House, the Institut de France Garnier speaks a seat in the section III (architecture) to the French Académie des Beaux -Arts. He is buried in Paris at the Montparnasse Cemetery.