The opening of the Shanghai Grand Opera House coincided with the 25th China Shanghai International Arts Festival. Snøhetta
The Shanghai Grand Opera House has opened on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River in Pudong, giving the Chinese city a new cultural and performing arts landmark, and destination for exhibitions and educational events.
Designed by Snøhetta in collaboration with Chinese and international specialists, the 146,786sqm complex contains three auditoriums with a combined capacity of 4,200 seats, alongside rehearsal, production, education, exhibition and hospitality facilities.
According to the architect, the project is intended to connect a working opera house with public spaces that residents and visitors can use beyond attending a performance.
One of the building’s most distinctive public feature is a spiraling exterior staircase connecting ground level with the roof.
Snøhetta describes the rooftop as a stage, observation deck and gathering place, with views towards the river and skyline.
The sweeping form is meant to respond to the movement of the Huangpu River, while large areas of glazing bring daylight into the shared interiors. After dark, lighting turns the projecting stage towers into illuminated elements of the roofscape.
Inside, the auditoriums are designed for different kinds of performance. The 2,000-seat Harmony Hall has five seating levels and a dark-red interior, with surfaces shaped around the acoustic requirements of the human voice.
The 1,200-seat Soar Theatre provides a smaller setting for opera, while Open Stage offers adaptable stage and seating arrangements for experimental work.