Theatres of Fantasy

01 Sep 2011

With their cutting-edge design and architecture, these theatres have become destinations in themselves – as dramatic as the performances they host. NICK WALTON explores outstanding examples that feed the eyes as much as the soul.

For generations, theatregoers attended performances for sheer love of the arts. But increasingly, with competition from television and the Internet, orchestral organisations and city councils have had to think outside the box to keep up attendance rates. It’s no wonder then, that the “where” became as important as the “what”. Here are our picks of some of the most beautiful theatres in the world.

GUANGZHOU OPERA HOUSE
CHINA

The magnificent Zaha Hadid-designed Guangzhou Opera House in China.

Created to coincide with the city’s hosting of the 2010 Asian Games, the new Guangzhou Opera House is a key element of the Pearl River New City development, a massive new business, leisure and cultural district in south-eastern Guangzhou. Created by London’s Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid, the glass complex contains two halls: a 1,800-seat performance hall (above) and a smaller 400-seat multipurpose theatre. Built at an estimated cost of US$202 million, the contours of the opera house are designed to resonate with the high notes of traditional Chinese opera as well as the tenor notes of Western ballads. Such is the allure of its beauty that the theatre was cited as an inspiration by fashion designer Vivienne Tam.

MARGOT AND BILL WINSPEAR OPERA HOUSE
USA

The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House in Dallas is clad in striking red glass.

Dallas’ 2,200-seat Winspear Opera House, as it’s known to locals, opened to the public in 2009. Horseshoe-shaped and clad in 4,000 sq m of red glass panels, part of its cutting-edge design lies in a solar canopy that makes use of the Texan sunshine to illuminate the interior. Beneath the canopy is a pedestrian plaza, a key component in the master plan created by Spencer de Grey of Foster + Partners. A wraparound glass facade creates a sense of flow between the hall and the exterior performance spaces – a section of this facade can be retracted, literally opening up the hall. Within the main hall is a retracting chandelier created from 318 acrylic rods that can be lit in virtually any colour.

KODALY CONCERT AND CONFERENCE CENTRE
HUNGARY

Hungary’s Kodaly Concert and Conference Centre was named after the respected composer Zoltan Kodaly.

Named after Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly, this stunning concert hall and multi-use conference centre officially opened last December, on the 128th anniversary of Kodaly’s birth. With the golden ratio – a mathematical constant said to be the most aesthetically pleasing proportion – at its architectural core, the new complex in Pecs, southern Hungary, was designed by architectural firm Epitesz Studio at a cost of €25 million (US$35 million). The main concert hall, which can seat 999 people, is now home to the famed Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra. Flexibility of usage is inbuilt – the auditorium seating can be lowered to create a ballroom and the stage modified to create an orchestra pit.