Structure
The Opera House built in baroque design featuring a blend of European and Indian architectural style was conceived in 1908 by Maurice Bandmann, an entertainer from Kolkata and Jehangir Framji Karaka, head of a firm of coal brokers. It was built with exquisite Italian marble on a leased land close to the Kennedy and Sandhurst bridges. Although the work was completed in 1912, several additions were made until 1915. The pediment figure at the pinnacle was substituted with three cherubs. A pair of unique crystal chandeliers, called the ‘Sans Souci’, donated by the David Sassoon family, which was earlier located in the Sassoon mansion, was shifted to the foyer of the opera house. At the main entrance, the dome is segmented into eight different parts "as a tribute to poets, dramatists, novelists, literati and people from art and culture." The interiors of the opera house as it existed in the past were provided with orchestra stalls with cosy cane chairs. 26 rows of boxes with couches were provided behind the stalls. The seating enabled a clear view of the stage to all the people seated in the stalls and in the Dress Circle. The acoustics were planned by providing the ceiling in a manner that permitted distinct audibility to audience seated in the gallery to hear every word or song from the stage. The entrance was originally designed with a frontage for carriages to drive in.
Read more about this topic: Royal Opera House (Mumbai)
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