Despite its eclectic beginnings, which involved dancing, ballets and occasional theatrical performances, the site acquired the status of a ‘true’ opera house by 1830 with the staging of Auber’s ‘The Mute of Portici’. In 1853, the site’s repertoire was limited to only opera and ballet. Following several successful decades, a fire and the construction of an additional hall, the building received an extra floor in 1876. Almost a century later, in 1963, La Monnaie was acquired by the city of Brussels, and had to undergo a substantial renovation. In 1998, three centuries after its inception, the building had its stage organs and cupola paintings restored.

The building has several highlights worth seeing once you're there. The impressive staircase features a 1910 sculpture by Paul Dubois and several paintings by Emile Fabry, which were also completed during the first half of the 20th Century. The entrance, re-constructed in the mid-1980s by architect Charles Vandenhove, is marked by a black-and-white floor and an evocative triptych by Sam Francis. The auditorium itself - the work of Joseph Poelaert - is decorated in a rather diversified style, combining French and Italian architectural trends. The cupola contains the restored allegorical canvas by François-Joseph Nolau and Alfred Rubé. The orchestra pit and stage underwent their most substantial renovation during the 1980s alterations. The stage tower, pulleys and the hand-operated tackle were all improved, and while the opera’s site has remained unchanged, its backstage facilities have been significantly modernised.

The opera’s royal box, set on the level of the first balcony, is a spectacle in itself. Clad in lavish velvet and adorned with gilded stucco, it displays the emblem of the Belgian royal family. The Royal Salon, nowadays, serves as a reception room during intermissions between performances, and is still used by the royal family and their friends, as well as by VIPs. During the 1980s restoration, it was entirely refurbished and made into a marble hall with floors by Daniel Buren and a sculpture by Giulio Paolini. The Grand Foyer has a ceiling painting by Thierry Bosquet, which was completed in the 1970s, while the rest of its interiors has remained unaltered since 1856. The room, designed by Poelaert, is used for refreshments between acts and occasionally houses chamber music concerts.

The new buildings of La Monnaie, acquired in 1998, were part of the Neo-Classical Vanderborght department store, constructed by architects Govaert and Van Vaerenbergh in 1935. The site currently houses the theatre’s workshops, including stage design and costume shops, the hairdresser and make-up studios, as well as the rehearsal rooms for the opera and orchestra.