- the - min ute ▁technology , ▁rather ▁pres cript ive ▁rational ism , ▁ex uber ant ▁ec lect ic ism ▁and ▁aston ishing ▁op ul ence , ▁G arn ier ' s ▁opera ▁enc aps ulated ▁the ▁diver gent ▁t endencies ▁and ▁political ▁and ▁social ▁amb itions ▁of ▁its ▁era ." ▁Ay ers ▁goes ▁on ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁the ▁jud ges ▁of ▁the ▁competition ▁in ▁particular ▁adm ired ▁G arn ier ' s ▁design ▁for ▁" the ▁clar ity ▁of ▁his ▁plan , ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁brilliant ▁example ▁of ▁the ▁be aux - arts ▁design ▁methods ▁in ▁which ▁both ▁he ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁thoroughly ▁vers ed ." ▁ ▁Op éra ▁Ag ence ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁initial ▁funds ▁to ▁begin ▁construction ▁were ▁voted ▁on ▁ 2 ▁July ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁G arn ier ▁established ▁the ▁Op éra ▁Ag ence , ▁his ▁office ▁on ▁the ▁construction ▁site , ▁and ▁h ired ▁a ▁team ▁of ▁architect s ▁and ▁draft s men . ▁He ▁selected ▁as ▁his ▁second - in - command , ▁Louis - V ict or ▁Lou vet , ▁followed ▁by ▁Jean ▁J ourd ain ▁and ▁Ed mond ▁Le ▁D esch ault . ▁ ▁L ay ing ▁of ▁the ▁foundation ▁ ▁The ▁site ▁was ▁exc av ated ▁between ▁ 2 7 ▁August ▁and ▁ 3 1 ▁December . ▁On ▁ 1 3 ▁January ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁the ▁first ▁concrete ▁found ations ▁were ▁pou red , ▁starting ▁at ▁the ▁front ▁and ▁progress ing ▁sequ entially ▁toward ▁the ▁back , ▁with