The restoration of the Grand Foyer at the Paris Opera House, completed two decades ago, undoubtedly stands as the most unforgettable project within our workrooms, signifying a true rebirth. Guided by the original designs of architect Charles Garnier, our teams of seamstresses and installers collaborated meticulously to recreate the opulent draperies and Italianate décor that now dazzle visitors of this Second Empire historical monument.
Our workrooms, which had previously replicated the entire set of orchestra, balcony, and box seating to the original specifications, were chosen in 2004 through a public tender to recreate the grand decorative curtains of the Grand Foyer, identical to those originally crafted by Charles Garnier, lost in a fire in 1921. Our application stood out due to our expertise in design, development, and execution of large-scale decorations and our established reputation for exemplary project management. We also emphasized our commitment to working closely with the Chief Architect of Historical Monuments at the time, Alain-Charles Perrot.
Before starting the project, we conducted extensive research and ensured a thorough understanding of the archives, drawings, and execution plans to precisely replicate these exceptional decorations as envisioned by Charles Garnier. The availability of our Lyon workrooms for full-scale trials and decor validation before dispatch was a significant advantage. Lastly, the expertise of our installers, capable of installing within the strict timelines set by the project managers and overseers, was also a crucial factor in our selection.
In the 1980s, the renowned Lyon silk Maison Prelle embarked on research that led, almost a decade later, to a significant discovery: “Charles Garnier had actually commissioned the fabrics from the 19th-century upholsterers Belloir and Vazelle, who in turn relied on Prelle. Although neither Prelle's nor the Opera's archives recorded any order, an indirect link was established. This enabled the recovery of the original design by Eugène Prelle, chosen by Garnier among other proposals, along with the original color shades and details of the ordered fabric lengths. Other designs intended for the opera were also discovered, notably for the valances and box fabrics, greatly aiding the reconstitution of the original decors. While these brocatelles were woven in the 19th century on handlooms using silk and linen, today, for safety standards, they are reproduced using non-flammable polyester, with some threads required for an accurate reproduction sourced from Japan,” as explained by Guillaume Verzier, CEO of the prestigious Maison Prelle.
The trimmings were re-woven by artisans from the highly esteemed Maison Declercq. “ Following Alain Charles Perrot's request, we created a design inspired by the spirit of Charles Garnier, notably by exaggerating the shapes and volumes to enhance the contrast among the trimmings' components. We then matched our colors to the selected fabric. These trimmings were crafted in our Montreuil-aux-Lions workrooms,” confides Jérome Declercq.
An impressive set of 340 tassels and 600 puffs were made for the valances, while for the curtains, the total amounted to 2500 tassels, 5000 puffs, and 40 jasmine tie-backs. These creations represent 500 kg of material, shaped over 20,000 hours of meticulous work.
Thus, our teams dedicated themselves to the creation of these complex "Italian-style" decors, where the subtlety of the cuts and assemblies must be invisible to the naked eye. A Herculean effort involving curtains weighing 60 kg each, representing 700 hours of craftsmanship from 620 meters of silk brocatelle, 190 meters of silk damask, and 190 meters of imberline, all embellished with 25 cm high silk trimmings and 60 cm silk tassel tie-backs, entirely handmade.
“The teams were energized. It was a true challenge, primarily due to the monumentally large dimensions of this hall,” shared Charles Jouffre.
In May 2004, the prestigious decorations, originally envisioned by Charles Garnier, were reinstalled by our workrooms in the Grand Foyer of the Garnier Opera House, measuring 54 meters long, 13 meters wide, and 18 meters high. This achievement was and remains a true crowning moment for our manufacture, involving the replication of a set of unique and extraordinary decors, distinguished by their quality and dimensions, within the magical setting of the Grand Foyer, a sublime space whose splendor is renowned worldwide.