‘PHANTOM,’ Opera Garnier Restaurant by ODBC Architects

The new restaurant of the Opera opened in July 2011, has been conceptualized and designed by French architect Odile Decq Benoit Cornette Architects (ODBC). The architect had to deal with many constraints as it was forbidden to touch or alter the original structure as the restaurant needed to be “reversible”. “All our facilities, piers, mezzanines and equipment were integrated into the site without touching the stones,” owner Pierre-Francois Blanc was quoted as saying in le JDD. Working within construction limitations and standards applied to French historic buildings is challenging, to say the least. Thus, there is no visible structure and the restaurant sorts of floats above the ground.

The facade of the restaurant is a veil of undulating glass, sliding between each pillar. With no visible structure, the glass is held in place by a single strip of bent steel running along the arched curve of the ceiling. This steel strip is fixed to the upper cornices of the columns 6 meters above the ground with stainless steel connecting rods. The glass is therefore held in place as if « by magic ». The façade therefore allows for clear views and a minimum impact. Providing enough floor space to seat 90 people was another requirement for this limited space.

The mezzanine was therefore created as a continuous surface. Narrow columns extend upwards towards the molded plaster hull, which curves to form the edges of the handrail. This vessel, which has been slipped under the cupola, is a cloud formation floating between the existing elements of the room without touching them. It’s an allusion to the changing form of the phantom, whose white veil glides surreptitiously in space. Quietly, almost insidiously, the soft protean curves of the mezzanine cover the space with a volume that arches, undulates, and floats above the guests. The space is open and turned outward.

The red carpeting flows down the steps of the main staircase dramatically, spreading out into the center of the black floor below, and running under the tables until it arrives at the edge of the facade.

At the back of the room, in the area closest to the entrance to the Opera, the space becomes more protected and private, contrasting with the whiteness of the rest of the room. Long red booths line this space, creating the « lounge » area for the restaurant. At the outside edge of the lounge, a long black bar snakes around a nearby column. The design for this project is based around creating a space that will highlight the restaurant inside the Opera Garnier, without mimicking the existing monument, but respecting it while affirming its truly contemporary character.

Opera Garnier Restaurant
Photographs by Roland Halbe