Beijing, China
The Beijing Performing Arts Centre, located on the banks of the Grand Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a landmark cultural destination that anchors Beijing Sub-center’s newly designated cultural district. This project centre is a transformative addition to the city, housing three world-class venues: an opera house, a theater, and a concert hall, as well as a multipurpose hall and outdoor stage. The centre is expected to host hundreds of performances annually—everything from traditional Chinese and Western operas, orchestral music, stage dramas, and dance.
The Beijing Performing Arts Centre won an 2025 International Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design
The design of the Beijing Performing Arts Centre celebrates the area’s rich history and vibrant future, envisioned as “containers for culture.” Inspired by the warehouses that once lined the Grand Canal, the architecture evokes both these storied structures and the sails of traditional canal boats, while also mirroring the dramatic movement of a theater curtain opening. The buildings are conceived as lanterns, illuminating the waterside and symbolizing the cultural vitality the complex will bring to the region.
Designed to foster community and enhance the well-being of visitors and the environment, a broad plinth unifies the complex, accessed from all directions by splayed steps and ramps. This elevated platform extends the buildings’ lobbies into the surrounding forested park, establishing a harmonious relationship between the interiors, the landscape, and the Grand Canal.
The design pays homage to the historical significance of the Grand Canal, which has been a vital trade route for over two millennia, transporting goods from southern China to Beijing. In a regional reversal, the Beijing Performing Arts Centre will now draw visitors from downtown Beijing to the canal and project Beijing’s cultural influence across the nation, underscoring the evolving importance of this historic waterway.
Sustainability is a core feature of the design, with the project achieving a China Three Star rating for environmental performance. The high-performance building envelope, shaded by a perforated aluminum screen, reduces energy consumption by 20% more than local code requires. The complex is connected to a district energy system powered by ground-source heat pumps, achieving 60% renewable energy usage. The HVAC system’s filtration system combined with carbon dioxide sensors in public areas ensure high indoor air quality. Low-flow fixtures conserve water throughout the buildings. Rainwater gardens and permeable pavements create a porous, sponge-like landscape that absorbs and retains stormwater on site, reducing the chance of flooding. Landscape irrigation, road and garage cleaning, and toilet flushing all use 100% reclaimed municipal greywater, further reducing the consumption of water resources.
The Beijing Performing Arts Centre is designed as a dynamic space that makes art accessible to all and encourages community interaction. Public access is enhanced with a dedicated metro station located beneath the park, along with ramps and stairs providing seamless entry to the complex. The subterranean level features parking, retail spaces, and a food and beverage complex, interspersed with sunken gardens. The plinth is open to the public, offering inspiring views of Tongzhou and the Grand Canal, making the arts centre not only a cultural destination but also a public space that fosters connection and exchange.
Architects: Schmidt Hammer Lassen and Perkins & Will
Design Team: Chris Hardie, Rong Lu, Chao Chen, James Lu, Simon Persson, Steven Yingnien Chen, Anna Nilson, Tim Kunkel, Han Lin, Bartek Winnicki, Li Wen, Chencheng Li, Xiaoshu He, Fangzhou Zhu, Trushit Vyas, Thomas Grannells, and Lukasz Trucahlski
Associate Architects: Beijing Institute of Architectural Design Co., Ltd. (BIAD)
General Contractor: Beijing Construction Engineering Group
Landscape Architects: SLA A/S
Project Manager: Fred Yuhe Zhang
Client: China National Centre for the Performing Arts
Photographers: Zhu Yumeng
