National Opera House (National Centre for the Performing Arts)
National Centre for the Performing Arts is a dynamic new icon to the arts in the heart of old Beijing. The Centre’s ultra-modern architecture is in sharp contrast to its neighbours, the Great Hall of the People, Tian’anmen Square and the ancient Forbidden City.
It was designed by the French architect Paul Andreu. The Centre hosted its first official concert on December 22, 2007.
It holds three main performance venues, along with a host of resource facilities.
The 2,398-seat Operahouse is the Centre’s largest venue and boasts the most advanced staging equipment available.
The Concert Hall, which can seat an audience of 2,019, was designed with superior acoustics. It will host symphony orchestras and national music performances.
The 1,035-seat Theatre is also equipped with hi-tech, theatrical staging and audio visual equipment. It will mainly host traditional Chinese operas and modern dramas.
The interior design of main hall is as stunning as the building’s architecture. Ten very different coloured marbles from around China were used for the flooring. A huge floor to ceiling glass curtain baths the interior in sunlight or reveals the city’s lights at night. The interior walls are warmed by a massive lattice work of rich Brazilian rose wood.
The main building, which has no doors, angles or beams, is surrounded by a small lake that compliments the tranquil nature of the structure, which changes its hue depending on how the sun shines.
Visitors enter the grand hall via a stunning 80-meter-long corridor. Its glass ceiling glistens with the water from the pond above.
National Centre for the Performing Arts also hosts a variety of Auxiliary Facilities and spaces that are dedicated to public use. Jointly known as the “The Fifth Space“, they include the underwater corridor, an exhibition gallery and a resource centre along with souvenir shops and cafes.
Both inside and out, China’s new National Centre for the Performing Arts is a must-see attraction. The Centre’s surrounding Landscape: its gardens and trees, its lake and pedestrian-only paths are an invitation to a leisurely stroll around the arts facility.
How to get there: Subway Line 1 to Tian’anmen West station, take exit ‘C’ and you are there.
Website: http://www.chncpa.org/
Oh well, performing arts is just very interesting for me.-,-