Lead Poisoning Threatens Paris Opera's Historic Palais Garnier Renovation

Lead discovered during renovation at the Palais Garnier, the historic Paris opera house opened in 1875, has thrown the schedule and budget into disarray. Originally planned as a two-year restoration, the work is now projected to take five years, with the stage closure extending from at least 2027 to 2032. The Paris Opera will offer an off-site program during this period. Evaluation of the best lead extraction method will occur this summer, with the closure duration determined this fall. The total cost is estimated at 670 million euros ($765.8 million). Alexander Neef, artistic director, had previously described the pause as a "hiatus," planning to keep one of the two venues—Palais Garnier and Opéra Bastille—open while the other is restored. Renovation of Bastille is now expected to begin in the 2033–34 season. The Palais Garnier inspired Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical.