In 1983, Carlos Ott's design was choosen amongst 750 other contestants for the design of a new opera house, which would be situated in the district of La Bastille. His design was characterised by its respect for the characteristics of the district, an inviting sight for the public by it's glass façade and the use of identical materials inside and outside. The Opera Bastille was designed to make new concepts in scenery and stage decor fit together (the three-dimensional sets that complete or replace the tromple-l'oeil of the baroque and romantic period) and for a new public.  The Bastille opera house was opened by President François Mitterrand on 13 July 1989