The Performing Arts Center, designed by Rocco Design Architects (RDA), is located at the southern end of the cultural complex, and houses Shenzhen's first performance hall to be downsized and equipped for international works. The 28,000-square-meter, 600-seat building will host opera, dance, symphony, and theater performances
Performing Arts Center in Bao'An Cultural Complex
In Shenzhen, China, the crown jewel of the Bao'an Cultural Complex, the Performing Arts Center overlooking Quanhai Bay and the South China Sea, has been inaugurated
The design takes inspiration from the long, narrow waterfront site. The base of the building is a low, undulating volume that conveys a sense of rhythm and movement along the axis of the campus. A delicately perforated facade evokes ancient Chinese craftsmanship and produces dramatic visual effects reminiscent of shimmering light over the bay
The "canvas" envelope modulates transparency according to the spaces it encloses: openings in public spaces and gathering areas contrast with a more opaque envelope at the theaters and rehearsal rooms. Although formally and technically innovative, the façade concept is rooted in traditional Chinese building screens in the space
A movable tower tilted 15 degrees from vertical creates an orientation point that announces the center as the focal point of the campus. Suspended bridges connect the tower to the main volume, offering breathtaking views of the bay. Gathering areas and elevated porticoes flank the base of the building, while a restaurant sits at the end of a sloping volume that extends into the plaza
Visitors enter through an impressive triple-height lobby. A large curved staircase and floating walls finished with wood slats continue the undulating character of the exterior. Natural light from above filters through the perforated facade, creating a lively play of shadows
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