The Paris Opera announced Thursday that it had been forced to extend planned renovations on its historic home in the French capital by three years because of lead contamination.<\/p>\n
The beloved institution had already announced two years of work from 2027-2029 for the Palais Garnier, which will close one of the most iconic sites of European opera.<\/p>\n
But the overhaul and de-contamination on the structure is now expected to take five years, with the re-opening date pushed back to 2032.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s a decision we stand by, a decision taken out of responsibility, a decision made to ensure the long-term future of our asset,” Paris Opera director general Alexander Neef told AFP on Thursday.<\/p>\n
“We have taken this step today in order to avoid having to launch other major works in a few years\u2019 time,” he added.<\/p>\n
Neef blamed “stricter regulations” which he said meant that lead would have to be removed from the stage area.<\/p>\n
The 150-year-old Palais Garnier is considered an architectural jewel in Paris, famed for its vast domed ceiling painted by Marc Chagall and its grand marble entrance.<\/p>\n
It is one of several tourist attractions in the City of Light requiring costly repairs, with the Pompidou Centre modern art gallery closed for a five-year modernisation and the Louvre Museum beset by maintenance problems.<\/p>\n
The Paris Opera renovations had been estimated at 450 million euros ($515 million) by the culture ministry, \u00a0a quarter of which would be financed by the French state.<\/p>\n
The institution’s other home, the modern Bastille opera house, is set to close for two years of renovations once work is completed on Palais Garnier. <\/p>\n
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