Shenzhen isn't exactly lacking in eye-catching buildings, but an extraordinary new performance center is sure to make an impression even in this bustling Chinese megacity thanks to its two performance spaces that look like a giant goose has laid golden eggs on the roof.
The project, which recently won an architecture competition, is named the People's Performing Arts Center and is designed by Ennead Architects, the firm behind the stunning Shanghai Astronomy Museum.
The building will consist of a glazed exterior hosting a large glass lobby. The two golden egg-like structures – which, to be fair, are somewhat amorphous and could just as easily be likened to pebbles – will encase the so-called Dream Theater and Star Concert Hall. We've no word on their exact size, but to give a sense of their scale, the Star Concert Hall will feature a stage that can fit a full-sized orchestra, as well as an audience of around 800. The Dream Theater, meanwhile, will host around 1,600 audience members.
Elsewhere in the building will be flexible rehearsal spaces, dressing rooms, as well as a restaurant and an exhibition space, plus performer accommodation and various technical areas necessary for running the theaters.
"Ennead's winning submission speaks to the intersection of creativity and technology with a design that is both gesturally artistic and technically precise," says the firm. "Two richly textured, golden egg-like shells reflect the duality of Shenzhen's village past and urban future and create a dynamic building that changes with the time of day and season. The two primary elements are both dependent and complimentary of one another, just like the relationship between performer and the audience. The undulating forms, as well as the circulation inside, recall the movement of water in the nearby bay. Relative to the surrounding context, the lower scale building design is meant to have an open visual flow."
We've no word yet on when the People's Performing Arts Center is due to be completed.
Source: Ennead Architects
