Rising up from the banks of China’s Wu-Li Lake, Wuxi’s latest cultural landmark is an imposing Finnish design
September 12th, 2012
Wuxi, dubbed “Little Shanghai” for its proximity to the cosmopolitan city and its vigorous development in economy, is also a thriving centre for arts and culture – a fact underscored by its newest landmark on a manmade peninsula on the banks of Wu-Li Lake.
The Wuxi Grand Theatre is designed by PES-Architects from Finland. The impressive structure rises up a total of 50 metres like a mega sculpture from a terraced base.
Forming the main architectural gesture of the building are eight wings, which are, according to PES-Architects, also the most architecturally demanding aspect of the build.
Inside the steel wings are thousands of LED lights that change colour according to the character of the performances – made possible by perforated aluminium panels on the underside of the wings.
Another notable feature is the ’forest’ of 50 light columns, each 9 metres high, which begin from the main entrance square, serve as a support for the roof in the central lobby, and continue outside the lake entrance into the lake.
Bamboo, a local material, covers the Main Opera Auditorium. Over 15,000 solid bamboo blocks are used, all individually shaped according to acoustic needs and architectural considerations.
A Finnish influence is also evident in the 20,000 glass bricks inspired by Finnish nature, lakes and ice, which line the curved wall of the opera auditorium in the lakeside lobby.
The Wuxi Grand Theatre contains a wide variety of functions, but most notably, it houses the 1,680-seat Grand Theatre for classical and Chinese opera, ballet, and symphony orchestral music, and a Comprehensive Performance Hall with a capacity of 690 seats.
PES-Architects
pesark.com
INDESIGN is on instagram
Follow @indesignlive
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
It’s widely accepted that nature – the original, most accomplished design blueprint – cannot be improved upon. But the exclusive Crypton Leather range proves that it can undoubtedly be enhanced, augmented and extended, signalling a new era of limitless organic materiality.
A longstanding partnership turns a historic city into a hub for emerging talent
In this candid interview, the culinary mastermind behind Singapore’s Nouri and Appetite talks about food as an act of human connection that transcends borders and accolades, the crucial role of technology in preserving its unifying power, and finding a kindred spirit in Gaggenau’s reverence for tradition and relentless pursuit of innovation.
Gaggenau’s understated appliance fuses a carefully calibrated aesthetic of deliberate subtraction with an intuitive dynamism of culinary fluidity, unveiling a delightfully unrestricted spectrum of high-performing creativity.
One of the largest Australasian art events returns in 2017 with its most exhaustive program to date to explore art – in every sense of the word.
Whose stand game is on point this year? Indesign on the ground gives you the cream of the crop.
Perth’s revitalisation and WA’s flourishing design industry is a special focus on Indesignlive this week. We look at the urban hub at ONE40WILLIAM, which features a variety of diverse spaces – including The Aviary, a rooftop bar that brings added life and variety to the precinct.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Mizzi Studio has completed The Living Bridge, a regenerative education and co-learning space at Green School Bali.
The Lands by Capella has had its official naming ceremony, marking the next chapter in the transformation of one of Sydney’s most revered heritage buildings.