Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin

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Facade of the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin by Oscar de la Chardonnière (architect)
and Jacques-Hyacinthe Chevalier (sculptor), 1873
Boulevard Saint-Martin
Quartier de la Porte-Saint-Martin, 10th arrondissement
Paris, July 2010

“The Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin is a venerable theatre and opera house at 18, Boulevard Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. It was first built very rapidly in 1781 under the direction of Nicolas Lenoir (fr) (1726–1810) to house the Paris Opéra, whose previous home, the second Salle du Palais-Royal, had burned down on 8 June 1781. The new theatre had a capacity of about 2,000 spectators and included a parterre with the lowest-priced tickets sold only to males who stood throughout the performances, an amphitheatre, and four rows of boxes. The Opéra used the theatre from 27 October 1781 until August 1794. The theatre was destroyed by fire during the Paris Commune of 1871 and replaced in 1873 with a building designed by the architect Oscar de la Chardonnière (d. 1881), who enlisted the aid of the sculptor Jacques-Hyacinthe Chevalier (1825–1895) in the design of the new facade. The new interior was designed by H. Chevalier. With relatively brief interruptions, the theatre has been in continuous operation since.” (Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, Wikipedia)