Who was the architect of the opera house where Thaïs was first performed?
Thaïs (opera) Thaïs (] ) is an opera, a "comédie lyrique" in three acts and seven tableaux, by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Louis Gallet, based on the novel "Thaïs" by Anatole France. It was first performed at the Opéra Garnier in Paris on 16 March 1894, starring the American soprano Sibyl Sanderson, for whom Massenet had written the title role. The original production was directed by Alexandre Lapissida, with costumes designed by Charles Bianchini and sets by Marcel Jambon (act 1, scene 1; act 3) and Eugène Carpezat (act 1, scene 2; act 2). The opera was later revised by the composer and was premiered at the same opera house on 13 April 1898.
Customs House, Bangkok The old Customs House in Bangkok (Thai: ศุลกสถาน , rtgs: "Sunlakasathan" ) is a historic building built in 1888. It was designed by Joachim Grassi. Built in the Palladian style, it is a fine example of the prevalent use of Western architecture in public buildings during Siam (Thailand)'s modernisation under the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). The building sits on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bang Rak District, on "Soi" Charoen Krung 36, and was symbolically considered the gateway to the country. The customs office moved to Khlong Toei Port in 1949, and the building later came to serve as residences for staff of the Bang Rak Fire Station. The building has much deteriorated since, and plans for its restoration have long been proposed, although they have yet to come to fruition. In 2005, real estate consortium Natural Park won a 30-year concession from the Treasury Department (which administers the building as state property) to renovate the site as an Aman Resorts hotel. However, in the ten years since, no development had taken place, due to difficulties in relocating the previous tenants. The residents finally moved out in early 2016, and the Treasury Department confirmed in 2017 that the project would go ahead under Natural Park's successor, the U City company.