One of the Palais Garnier’s main spaces is the foyer. This room is dedicated to relaxation during intermission and after the show. Various drinks were served there to quench the audience’s thirst. Its dimensions were calculated according to the auditorium’s capacity and the number of people likely to get out during intermission.
The decoration is extremely rich and colorful, as Charles Garnier wanted it. But the emperor would have not tolerated any waste of money for this immense construction work. So the architect had to use cunning. Here you see a lot of gilt but everything isn’t gold ! Only elements exposed to light have been gilded with gold leaf. All the other parts are painted gold. This technique is called « dorure à l’effet » (effect gilding). Isn’t it smart ? This way, he avoided many expenses and yet the foyer shines brightly.