The Hebin Theater by SOM

The Hebin Theater is a performing arts center which was designed by SOM to create a signature building and a unique cultural resource for the city of Guiyang, China.

Architects: SOM
Location: Guiyang, China
Expected completion: 2018

From the architects: The project located on the banks of the Nanming River in the heart of downtown Guiyang, this performing arts center anchors the Guizhou Culture Plaza development. With additional connections to Zhucheng Square and the planned Metro, this multi-venue facility will attract visitors from neighboring public spaces and be conveniently accessed by public transportation.

The performance spaces within Hebin Theater include a 1,600-seat opera house, a 1,000-seat concert hall, and a 400-seat multifunctional theater. On the east side of the site, a central lobby is surrounded by drop-off lanes to accommodate traffic. A large trussed platform supports the concert hall and theater above, and extends over the opera house and lobby, as well as the Metro tracks below ground.

Taking the form of stacked river stones, the building form is abstracted into ellipsoid shapes with large elliptical glass openings revealing the public circulation within the building, and allowing for views out from the lobby to the city and the river beyond. The solid portions of the building are clad in a stainless steel rain screen system, making the performing arts center one of the most iconic buildings in China.

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