 The current building is the third theatre on the site following destructive fires in 1808 and 1857 . The façade , foyer and auditorium were designed by Edward Barry , and date from 1858 , but almost every other element of the present complex dates from an extensive £ 178 million reconstruction in the 1990s . The Royal Opera House seats 2 @,@ 268 people and consists of four tiers of boxes and balconies and the amphitheatre gallery . The stage performance area is roughly 15 metres square . The main auditorium is a Grade 1 listed building . The inclusion of the adjacent old Floral Hall , previously a part of the old Covent Garden Market , created a new and extensive public gathering place . In 1779 the pavement outside the playhouse was the scene of the murder of Martha Ray , mistress of the Earl of Sandwich , by her admirer the Rev. James Hackman . 
