By Aamir Wyne
To some extent, China’s construction boom has become an exercise in architectural one-upmanship, with many cities competing with one another to erect high-profile buildings by famous architects. For many years, skyscrapers have been the most popular way of attracting attention. Now opera houses are taking center stage.
Beijing and Shanghai are both capping recent growth with extravagant opera houses designed by the French architect, Paul Andreu. Following their lead, other fast-developing cities are building grand performance facilities that express a level of cultural achievement to go along with economic success.
The Guangzhou Opera House designed by London-based architect Zaha Hadid, for example, broke ground in mid-January and is part of the city's plans for urban redevelopment that will cost RMB 180 billion. Sitting on the banks of the Zhu Jiang River, “the Guangzhou Opera House will play an important role in promoting the cultural traditions of the region in addition to promoting the development of Zhujiang New Town and the Guangzhou riverside,” says a spokesperson in Hadid's office, “We are very confident that the design will not only reflect Guangzhou as a dynamic, growing city but also the whole of China in it's journey through economic reform.” According to a press release, the organic “twin-boulder” aesthetic of the opera house, “sits in perfect harmony with its riverside site and reflects the city’s journey throughout history.”
The Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, who first came to international attention with his Bastille Opera in Paris (completed in 1989), is now busy on four opera houses in China. Working with the Canadian firm Petroff Partnership, Ott has designed projects in Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Zhengdong New Town, and Dongguan, all awarded through design competitions.
Ott’s Hangzhou Grand Theater—which includes a 1,600-seat opera hall, a 600-seat concert hall, and a 400-seat theater—opened near the end of 2004. The architect describes the moon-shaped building as “a pearl in its oyster shell.”
Nearing completion in Guangdong Province, the Dongguan Grand Theater will feature a 1,600-seat opera house and a 400-seat multipurpose hall, designed in conjunction with Tongji University.
In Zhejiang Province, Ott’s Wenzhou Grand Theater has started construction and is scheduled to be completed in 2006. Described as “a golden fish in its pond,” the building will house a 1,550-seat opera house, a 650-seat concert hall, and a 200-seat theater.
In the new town of Zhengdong, Ott has designed the 63,000-square-meter Henan Art Centre, which will include an opera house, concert hall, multipurpose hall, folk art museum, and fine art gallery. Construction is scheduled to start this year.
With so many new opera houses opening or underway, it remains to be seen if the public will come and fill all the seats.
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