Snøhetta has been commissioned to design the Shanghai Grand Opera House in Shanghai, China. The new opera house is an important part of a new urban master plan for Shanghai that aims to place the city at the forefront of global economics, science and culture.
The sweeping form of the new opera house embodies the concept of movement. The helical roof surface evokes an unfolding fan, capturing the dynamism of dance and the human body. Generating both surface and space, the radial movements of the roof form a spiraling staircase that connects ground and sky and creates views towards the city and the Huangpu river banks. The spiraling, fanning motions extend throughout the project, into the lobby, the halls, and the three auditoriums. The opera house’s visual identity also references the same movements, with the new corporate logo also characterized by the pattern of a highly recognizable open fan.
The opera roof will become an accessible stage and meeting place, suitable for both large-scale events and everyday visitors. In celebrating both the collective and the individual, the plaza will allow visitor access 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, engendering a sense of public ownership.
At the heart of the opera is the 2,000 seat main auditorium: a finely tuned instrument that offers state-of-the-art technical solutions and superior acoustics. The 1,200-seat second stage will offer a more intimate setting for smaller productions. The 1,000-seat third stage offers a flexible staging and seating arrangement, providing space for more experimental and unique performances, aiming to attract a new generation of opera goers.
The white exterior stands in contrast to the soft silk used for the interior linings. Oak wood forms the main floors of the galleries and the interior of the hall, ensuring good acoustic properties. Expansive glass panes open up the main hall to natural light, which transforms the experience of the building throughout the day and from season to season. At night, exterior lights change the appearance of the stage towers, transforming them into glowing lanterns, illuminating the roof and skyline.
The Shanghai Grand Opera House will be a world-class venue, placing the visitor at center stage. Through its aesthetics and functionality, as well as its cultural and ecological ambition, the opera house will be an accessible canvas for global visitors, local citizens, and artists to fill with life and culture.
