Opéra (Paris Metro)
Encyclopedia
Opéra is a station of the Paris Métro
, named after the nearby Opera Garnier
, built by the architect Charles Garnier
. It is located at the end of the Avenue de l'Opera
, one of the accesses being opposite the Opera, and serves the district of the Boulevard Haussmann
. Three Métro lines (3
, 7
and 8
) cross each other at one point, known as a "well".
The station offers a connection to Auber RER station
and indirectly with the Havre-Caumartin Métro station, however, ongoing construction work has limited the access Metro users have to it.
The station is famous for its strong odors of sewers. When it was being built, there were concerns that one of Hector Guimard
's characteristic iron metro entrances would spoil the view of the opera house, so a marble entrance was built instead.
and Villiers
. A twenty metre high masonry well was built to avoid the need for heavy underpinning work when lines 7 and 8 were planned to be built. This work was affected by groundwater
, which required the support of three concrete pillars, made by sinking caisson
s with workers digging out the mud with compressed air. The work lasted eleven months, from March 1903 to February 1904. The line 7 platforms opened on 5 November 1910 as part of the first section of the line opened between Opéra and Porte de la Villette
. The line 8 platforms opened on 13 July 1913 as part of the first section of the line opened between Opéra and Beaugrenelle
(now Charles Michels station on line 10
).
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
, named after the nearby Opera Garnier
Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, , is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier...
, built by the architect Charles Garnier
Charles Garnier (architect)
Charles Garnier was a French architect, perhaps best known as the architect of the Palais Garnier and the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.-Early life:...
. It is located at the end of the Avenue de l'Opera
Avenue de l'Opéra
The Avenue de l'Opéra is a Haussmanian avenue situated in the centre of Paris, France. It runs from the Louvre to the Palais Garnier, which was Paris's main opera until it was replaced by the Opéra Bastillein 1989....
, one of the accesses being opposite the Opera, and serves the district of the Boulevard Haussmann
Boulevard Haussmann
Boulevard Haussmann, running from the 8th to the 9th arrondissement,is one of the wide tree-lined boulevards created in Paris during the Second French Empire by Baron Haussmann, with enthusiastic support from Napoleon III....
. Three Métro lines (3
Paris Metro Line 3
Line 3 is one of the sixteen lines of the Paris Métro rapid transit system in Paris, France. Connecting Pont de Levallois - Bécon station in the near western suburbs to Gallieni in the east, the location of Paris' international bus station...
, 7
Paris Metro Line 7
Paris Métro Line 7 is one of sixteen lines of the Paris Métro system. Crossing the capital from its north-eastern to south-eastern sections via a moderately curved path, it links La Courneuve – 8 Mai 1945 in the north with Mairie d'Ivry and Villejuif – Louis Aragon in the south, while passing...
and 8
Paris Metro Line 8
Paris Métro Line 8 is one of 16 metro lines in Paris, France. It connects the Balard station in southwestern Paris, to Créteil – Préfecture station in Créteil, a town south-east of the French capital, following a parabolic route on the right bank of Seine River...
) cross each other at one point, known as a "well".
The station offers a connection to Auber RER station
Auber (Paris RER)
Auber is a station on Line A of the RER in Paris, France. Opened on 23 November 1971 it was at the time the largest underground station in the world, and represents a feat of underground engineering....
and indirectly with the Havre-Caumartin Métro station, however, ongoing construction work has limited the access Metro users have to it.
The station is famous for its strong odors of sewers. When it was being built, there were concerns that one of Hector Guimard
Hector Guimard
Hector Guimard was an architect, who is now the best-known representative of the French Art Nouveau style of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries....
's characteristic iron metro entrances would spoil the view of the opera house, so a marble entrance was built instead.
History
The line 3 platforms opened on 19 October 1904 as part of the first section of the line opened between Père LachaisePère Lachaise (Paris Metro)
Père Lachaise is a station of the Paris Métro, serving line 2 and 3 on the border of the 11th and 20th arrondissements.The station was opened on 31 January 1903 as part of the extension of line 2 from Anvers to Bagnolet...
and Villiers
Villiers (Paris Metro)
Villiers is a station of the Paris Métro, serving Line 2 and Line 3 on the border of the 8th and 17th arrondissement of Paris.The Line 2 platforms opened on 21 January 1903, although trains had been operating between Étoile and Anvers since 7 October 1902. On 19 October 1904, it became the terminus...
. A twenty metre high masonry well was built to avoid the need for heavy underpinning work when lines 7 and 8 were planned to be built. This work was affected by groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
, which required the support of three concrete pillars, made by sinking caisson
Caisson (engineering)
In geotechnical engineering, a caisson is a retaining, watertight structure used, for example, to work on the foundations of a bridge pier, for the construction of a concrete dam, or for the repair of ships. These are constructed such that the water can be pumped out, keeping the working...
s with workers digging out the mud with compressed air. The work lasted eleven months, from March 1903 to February 1904. The line 7 platforms opened on 5 November 1910 as part of the first section of the line opened between Opéra and Porte de la Villette
Porte de la Villette (Paris Metro)
Porte de la Villette is a station of the Paris Métro. The origin of the commune of the Villette was a Gallo-Roman village, which grew up on the Roman road that led to east Flanders. About 1198, it became Ville Neuve Saint-Ladre and by 1426 it was called Villette-Saint-Miser-lez-Paris. The commune...
. The line 8 platforms opened on 13 July 1913 as part of the first section of the line opened between Opéra and Beaugrenelle
Charles Michels (Paris Metro)
Charles Michels is a station on line 10 was of the Paris Metro in the 15th arrondissements.-History:The station was opened on 13 July 1913 as part of the original section of line 8 between Beaugrenelle and Opéra...
(now Charles Michels station on line 10
Paris Metro Line 10
Paris Métro Line 10 is one of 16 metro lines in Paris, France. The line links the Boulogne – Pont de Saint Cloud metro station in Boulogne in the west with the Gare d'Austerlitz, travelling under the neighborhoods situated on the Rive Gauche in the southern half of Paris and the commune of...
).