Opéra () is a station on Lines 3, 7 and 8 of the Paris Métro. It is named after the nearby Opéra Garnier. Located at the end of the Avenue de l'Opéra, it serves the district of Boulevard Haussmann. Its main entrances are located on the Place de l'Opéra, built in a marble design (instead of the characteristic iron metro entrances of Hector Guimard), to not spoil the view of the opera house.
The station is connected by an underground passage to on RER A. From Auber, additional stations and lines can be reached via a sequence of underground passages, namely for Line 3 and Line 9, and for RER E, the latter being connected to Saint-Lazare for Line 3, Line 12, Line 13 and Line 14, and the latter in turn being connected to for Line 9.
Location
thumb|left|Location of the platforms
The station platforms were established under Rue Auber for line 3; under Avenue de l'Opéra for line 7; and under Boulevard des Capucines for line 8. The platform lie partially under the Place de l'Opéra.
The three lines cross on the levels at the same point, using a common underground structure located under the square.
History
thumb|left|Construction under scaffolding in the [[Place de l'Opéra. The roof of Line 3 leading to Rue Auber is visible.]]
The Line 3 platforms opened on 19 October 1904 as part of the first section of the line opened between Père Lachaise and Villiers. A twenty-one metre high masonry well was built to avoid the need for heavy underpinning work when Line 7 and Line 8 were planned to be built. It owes its name to the Garnier opera house, built by the architect Charles Garnier. The station's name consisted of large raised white capital letters. Only the Saint-Lazare station on Lines 12 and 13 had comparable decoration until the mid-2000s.
On 1 April 2016, the RATP replaced one of every two nameplates on the platforms of the three lines to make an April Fool for a day, like twelve other stations. Opera is humorously renamed "Apéro" by anagram.
In 2019, 10,501,357 travellers entered this station which places it at the 15th position of metro stations for its usage.
Passenger services
Access
The station has three entrances. The two main entrances are on Place de l'Opéra, and the third is on Place Charles-Garnier leading to the platforms of Line 3. An additional exit from the platforms of Line 7, via escalator, is located at No. 43, Avenue de l'Opéra.
Station layout
{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3
|style="border-top:solid 1px gray;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=50 valign=top|Street level
|style="border-top:solid 1px gray;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=100 valign=top|
|style="border-top:solid 1px gray;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=390 valign=top|Accesses
|-
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray" width=50 valign=top|B1
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=100 valign=top|
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=390 valign=top|Mezzanine for platform connection
|-
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=50 rowspan=10 valign=top|Line 3 platforms
|style="border-top:solid 1px gray;border-right:solid 2px black;border-left:solid 2px black;border-bottom:solid 2px black;text-align:center;" colspan=2|
|-
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=100|Westbound
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=390|← toward Pont de Levallois – Bécon
|-
|Eastbound
| toward Gallieni →
|-
|style="border-top:solid 2px black;border-right:solid 2px black;border-left:solid 2px black;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;text-align:center;" colspan=2|
|}
{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=50 rowspan=10 valign=top|Line 7 platforms
|style="border-top:solid 1px gray;border-right:solid 2px black;border-left:solid 2px black;border-bottom:solid 2px black;text-align:center;" colspan=2|
|-
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=100|Southbound
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=390|← toward Villejuif – Louis Aragon or Mairie d'Ivry
|-
|Northbound
| toward La Courneuve–8 mai 1945 →
|-
|style="border-top:solid 2px black;border-right:solid 2px black;border-left:solid 2px black;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;text-align:center;" colspan=2|
|}
{| border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=50 rowspan=10 valign=top|Line 8 platforms
|style="border-top:solid 1px gray;border-right:solid 2px black;border-left:solid 2px black;border-bottom:solid 2px black;text-align:center;" colspan=2|
|-
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=100|Westbound
|style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" width=390|← toward Balard
|-
|Eastbound
| toward Pointe du Lac →
|-
|style="border-top:solid 2px black;border-right:solid 2px black;border-left:solid 2px black;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;text-align:center;" colspan=2|
|}
Platforms
thumb|left|Entrance to the station on Place de l'Opéra.
The platforms of the three lines are of standard configuration. Two in number per stopping point, they are separated by the metro tracks located in the centre.
The platform for Line 3 is established flush with the walls. The ceiling consists of a metal roof, whose beams, burgundy in colour, are supported by vertical pillars. The decoration is in the Andreu-Motte style with two burgundy light canopies, benches, tunnel exits and walls fitted with large white flat tiles in a stretched sandstone and purple Motte seats. On the other hand, the outlets of the corridors are fitted with standard white bevelled tiles. Advertisements are devoid of frames and the name of the station is written in Parisine font on enamelled plates. With Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre on Line 1 and Concorde on line 8, this is one of three stations in the Andreu-Motte style to be treated in shades of purple, this shade being part of the lexicon exceptional colours for this decoration.
The platforms of Lines 7 and 8 have an elliptical vault and are similarly arranged, with a slight extra curve for Line 7, while the platforms of line 8 have a higher of the vault. The style is that used for most metro stations. The lighting canopies are white and rounded in the Gaudin du renouveau du métro des années 2000 renovation, and the bevelled white ceramic tiles cover the walls and the tunnel exits. The vault is painted white. The advertising frames are in white ceramic and the name of the station is written in Parisine font on enamelled plates. The seats are Akiko style, green for line 7 and orange for line 8. As part of the treatment for major permeation, the lighting canopies for line 7 is temporarily removed.
Bus connections
The station is served by lines 20, 21, 22, 27, 32, 29, 45, 52, 66, 68 and 95 of the RATP Bus Network and, at night, by lines N15 and N16 of the Noctilien network.
Gallery
<gallery widths="200px" heights="125px">
Station Opéra Métro Paris Ligne 3 - Paris IX (FR75) - 2022-06-24 - 4.jpg|Line 3 platforms at Opéra
Rame Station Opéra Métro Paris Ligne 7 - Paris II (FR75) - 2022-06-24 - 1.jpg|Line 7 platforms at Opéra
Station Opéra Métro Paris Ligne 8 - Paris II (FR75) - 2022-06-24 - 2.jpg|Line 8 platforms at Opéra
Panneau Station Opéra Métro Paris Ligne 8 - Paris II (FR75) - 2022-06-24 - 1.jpg|Opéra platform signage
</gallery>