Guangzhou Opera House

The ‘”Opera House” in Guangzhou is ready to be opened:  the date is on 25-26 February 2011. The female style – fluid and powerful – is unmistakably  edited by  architect Zaha Hadid. The project stands on an area of 70,000 m ² and bordering Pearl River. Two twins-elements create a sculptural composition: the biggest of these will host a theater – with 1,800 seats – while the other will contain the auditorium – with 400 seats – and it will be used as multi-functional space.

The two buildings are so static-opaque from the outside as a they are transparent and dynamic from the internal views. Infact the idea recalls the stones in a river (static and opaque) while the interior seems eroded by the waters (excavations dynamic and fluid).The project is a new point of connection from the city-region to the riverfront.

The dynamic and ambitious nature of the project is similar to the fate of this place. Here – in the ratio of Unhabitat[i] – there is one of the most important mega-regions in the world: Hong Kong-Shenhzen-Guangzhou where 120 million people lives (the last report said that expected to be doubled in 2040). That note is very important to understand the core of that place. Infact is not possible to understand this project, if we see this one as a local : The “Opera House” is a part of new glocal-project.

The Officials Details from Zaha Hadid’s website:
ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS
DESIGN: Zaha Hadid with Patrik Schumacher
PROJECT DIRECTOR: Woody K.T. Yao
PROJECT LEADER: Simon Yu
PROJECT TEAM: Jason Guo, Yang Jingwen, Long Jiang, Ta-Kang Hsu, Yi-Ching Liu, Zhi Wang, Christine Chow, Cyril Shing, Filippo Innocenti, Lourdes Sanchez, Hinki Kwong, Junkai Jiang
COMPETITION TEAM (1st stage): Filippo Innocenti, Matias Musacchio, Jenny Huang, Hon Kong Chee, Markus Planteu, Paola Cattarin, Tamar Jacobs, Yael Brosilovski, Viggo Haremst, Christian Ludwig, Christina Beaumont, Lorenzo Grifantini, Flavio La Gioia, Nina Safainia, Fernando Vera, Martin Henn, Achim Gergen, Graham Modlen, Imran Mahmood
COMPETITION TEAM (2nd stage):Cyril Shing, YanSong Ma, Yosuke Hayano, Adriano De Gioannis, Barbara Pfenningstorff

CONSULTANTS:
LOCAL ARCHITECT: Guangzhou Pearl River Foreign Investment, Architectural Designing Institute (Guangzhou, China)
STRUCTURE: SHTK (Shanghai, China); Guangzhou Pearl River, Foreign Investment Architectural Designing Institute
FACADE: KGE Engineering (Zhuhai, China)
BUILDING SERVICES: Guangzhou Pearl River Foreign Investment, Architectural Designing Institute
M&E: Max Fordham and Partners (London, UK), OK Design Group
THEATRE: ENFI (Beijing, China)
LIGHTING: Beijing Light & View (Beijing, China)
ACOUSTIC: Marshall Day Acoustics (Melbourne, Australia)
PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Guangzhou Municipal Construction Group Co. Ltd. (Guangzhou, China)
COST: Guangzhou Jiancheng Engineering Costing Consultant, Office Ltd. (Guangzhou, China)
PRINCIPAL CONRACTOR: China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Co. Ltd. (Guangdong, China)