Cinéma Opéra

This cinema was created by Émile Thion and Marcel Rousseau. Its remarkable façade fits in with the Art Nouveau tastes of Montmartre’s cabarets.

The spectacular works started in 1923. Space had to be provided for 1,450 people, requiring a construction site for a crowd of workers and architects.

A huge pediment decorated with sgraffiti (patterns etched into mortar) and sculptures was created. At the entrance, the ternary rhythm of the façade echoes in the concrete canopies with their organic curves, which are rich in coloured patterns that are visible in the windows and the mortar following a budding Art Deco style.

The interior includes a Rousseau-Decelle fresco and a chandelier by Edgar Brandt, but work carried out in the 1960s and 1980s damaged the entire structure. Restoring the façade is planned as part of a project including housing, offices and shops.