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The largest theater for lyric opera in the world, the Paris Opéra was built between 1862 and 1875. Gaston Leroux's novel, "Phantom of the Opéra", has brought much fame to this well-known opera house. Charles Garnier, its architect, was picked from among 171 contestants; he was relatively unknown and was only 35 when awarded with the design. When work was finally started, it was just as quickly halted after the discovery of an underground lake and spring. Although this problem was overcome, the lake persists and lies beneath the cellars of the building. A large building, it has a total area of 11,000 square metres (118,404 square feet) and a vast stage with room for up to 450 artists. The auditorium itself comprises roughly half of the total space, most of the rest being used to house necessary logistical support so that the stage demands of any opera can be met and even surpassed. The opéra seats only 2,200 people.
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Western Europe
