Completed in February 2014, this project took about 4.5 months to design & build. There are over 12,000 LEGO parts. This is the largest, most detailed project that I have completed.
As an opera fanatic and an admirer of French architecture, this project was inspired by a copy of a painting in our home by Jean Beraud: "Le Couloir de l' Opera." The Grand Staircase is beautifully portrayed and I wanted to create an ornate interior along with a detailed exterior finish.
Microsoft Excel was very handy in order to plot out the footprint, staircase height, tile designs, Fleur d' lis pattern, and more. I also relied on Google Maps 'streetview' and popular images of Palais Garnier for inspiration and guidance. The proper scale of Palais Garnier would have required a LEGO structure about three times the size of this creation. I incorporated the dome and the hip roof elements into this version, although there would be much further back from the front facade. Also, the sides do not have protruding elements, so that the creation can be displayed along with other LEGO modular creations OR two smaller domes on the original Palais Garnier can be added as a separate project.
This version does not include the front exterior stairs, nor the lower level. (The grand piano on stage was copied from mijasper on Brickshelf.)
![Rat Fink [moc]](http://bp-forum.s3.amazonaws.com/monthly_2015_06/small.ImageHandler.ashx.png.ef76690b4f2a73af1b6c00ec156d96a7.png)
