The Royal Opera House stands on a Covent Garden site used for theatre since 1732. Its present façade and portico belong to a building opened in 1858, while later redevelopment added modern stage, rehearsal, and public spaces behind the historic exterior.
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The portico gives the Royal Opera House a composed, classical face, but the theatre behind it has been rebuilt more than once. The first Theatre Royal opened on this Covent Garden site in 1732; fires destroyed the first two buildings. The present theatre, designed by Edward Middleton Barry, opened in 1858.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The first theatre on the Covent Garden site opened in 1732.
- The present theatre opened in 1858.
- The current building was designed by Edward Middleton Barry.
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