Dance of the fans: Shanghai Grand Opera House by Snøhetta
The new "Shanghai Grand Opera House" by Snøhetta is an important component of a new urban development master plan for Shanghai that seeks to bring the city to the global fore in economic, scientific and cultural terms.
Spiralling, fanning movements are to be found throughout the whole of the project. Particularly noteworthy in visual terms is the helical roof. Reminiscent of an unfolding fan, it captures the dynamics of the human body in the motions of dance, with the radial movements of the roof structure forming a spiral staircase that seems to connect the sky and the earth while offering views of the city centre and the waterfront promenade along the Huangpu River.
The 2,000-seat main auditorium lies at the heart of the "Shanghai Grand Opera House". A second auditorium offering room for 1,200 offers a more intimate setting for smaller productions, while a third space with a flexible stage and seating arrangements is intended for experimental performances of equal value as the classical concerts and Chinese opera performances that also find their place in the cultural programme.
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