Built in 1820, from 1860 onward the opera underwent a campaign of renovation and enlargement. In 1930, on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition, a pediment was added. In the course of time, various inept alterations have disrupted the pure lines of the initial building. The renovation enabled this to be corrected. The proposed intervention, using simple architectural expression, was part of a powerful historic logic, which respected the old parts of the building. The raising of the stage house defined the overall volume of the extension, and enabled three floors to be developed on top of the auditorium, offering extra offices and a multifunctional rehearsal room (such as La Monnaie in 1986). The façades of the raised area were lined with a metal screen structure, also placed in front of the windows of the historic building creating the new image. The original façade, which had been crudely cleaned, was replastered and repainted. With a view to maintaining coherence, the pediment was treated likewise.