Xingtai Grand Theater (CN)

Snøhetta put forward the concept of “Round Heaven & Squared Earth” in the design of the Xingtai Grand Theatre. First of all, they hope to convey the coordination from the conceptual level. “Round Heaven & Squared Earth” conveys their attitude towards different environmental factors. As for the semantics: Xingtai's Xing came from the well, which is a place of moral, and Tai came from platform, which is the earth from all directions--Xingtai is their trace of the continuation of "tai culture" and "water culture". Xingtai's "Xing" represents the continuation of the water culture. Xingtai’s "Tai" witnessed history and passed on the spirit. It symbolizes a all-encompassing cultural platform of future. In this way, Snøhetta has promoted the “Tai Culture” and “Water Culture” from ancient times to the present to a cultural platform level, and realized such a grand intention through a very clear and efficient functional arrangement.

Beside “water” and “Tai”, Snøhetta also introduced the concept of " Circular " here. In their general plan, they emphasized the interaction between the building and the public, and also recognized that this building needs to have the power and integration that continues to expand. Therefore, how the wall interacts with the building itself becomes a key element of the overall planning of the Xingtai Grand Theatre.


[Expansion! Dynamic begins with macro scenes]

For the building itself, it`s not enough to satisfy the mapping range of the projection. The building cannot be limited to the "expansion " of the physical scope. Snøhetta interconnected the Xingtai Grand Theatre with the Garden Expo Park, breaking the border and allowing pedestrians to make full use of the venue for leisure and sightseeing. This practice is based entirely on the surrounding context and can help the Grand Theatre to demonstrate its possibilities in social and cultural activities for a long time. Snøhetta hopes that the space created here will encourage people to use this space “beyond imagination”, which will lead to the expansion of building life to more areas than expected. This is another key word in their philosophy - interaction.

[Cultural living room with a sense of citizenship]

How can we make architecture and space interact? Based on the experience in projects such as the Oslo Opera House and the Busan Opera House, Snøhetta has created a cultural living room with a sense of citizenship for Xingtai City. Whether it is the landscape or the surrounding of the building, the activities will be spread, thus contributing to the sustainability of the building space.
[Cultural landmark and micro-city design]

The architectural function of the theatre is very clear. Next to the Grand Theatre are small theaters, all facing the center, a diagonal line provides a public area to the southwest, extending from the outer ring road into the building, slowly up to the roof, blending the square with the building to a whole. The northeast is the rehearsal rooms providing to the staff, above which is the multi-function halls. The vertical stream line is divided into public area and logistics area.

The rhythm of curtain wall has a relationship with its internal functions: public space is open and private space is hidden. Landscape design continues the function of urban level design, dividing the site into three main areas, namely the park area on the North side, the square area around the building and the forest area on the southernmost side. Park area is the transition between public square and the other area. Flower field is the first impression and Prospect of Grand Theater. The lawn protected by dense forest is people's activity and picnic space. Square area is the focus of cultural space and the symbol of Xingtai`s well culture. The middle pool can be used for large-scale activities. Forest areas respect the original design of ecological park, and introduce the interrelated elements of forests and the city. Through the selection of different tree species and grass species, a clear definition of the relationship among the foreground, the mid-ground and the background is formed by the building and landscape.

The number of seats of the main theatre is between 1400 and 1800, which is located on 4 floors. The arrangement of the high zone pool seat and the two-story balcony seat is conducive to minimizing the sight distance. Additional audience seats are enclosed in side panels in the form of small boxes to create the intimacy required for the show. Some seats will serve as VIP seats and will have the best visual conditions. The theatre will accommodate a range of performances, as well as opera, ballet, musicals, conferences, symphonies and more contemporary forms of performance.

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