Napoleon III style
The Napoleon III style was a highly eclectic style of architecture and decorative arts, which used elements of many different historical styles,and also made innovative use of modern materials, such as iron frameworks and glass skylights. It flourished during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III in France (1852–1871) and had an important influence on architecture and decoration in the rest of Europe and the United States. Major examples of the style include the Opéra Garnier in Paris by Charles Garnier (1862–71), the Bibliothèque nationale de France. and the Church of Saint Augustine (1860–1871). The architectural style was closely connected with Haussmann's renovation of Paris carried out during the Second Empire; the new buildings, such as the opera, were intended as the focal points of the new boulevards.
Napoleon III style
The Napoleon III or Second Empire style took its inspiration from several different periods and styles, which were often combined together in the same building or interior. The interior of the Opéra Garnier by Charles Garnier combined architectural elements of the French Renaissance, the architecture of Palladio, and French Baroque, and managed to give it coherence and harmony. The Gate of the Lions of the Louvre Palace by Hector Lefuel is a Louis Napoleon version of French Renaissance architecture; few visitors to the Louvre realize it is a 19th-century addition to the building.