Yichang, China
With a total building area is around 70,000 square meters, OPEN Architecture’s Yichang Grand Theater will house a 1600-seat grand theater, a 1200-seat concert hall, a 400-seat black box, and two outdoor theaters, including one on the rooftop and another by the water.
In addition to the performance spaces, the building also includes educational facilities, event and exhibition spaces, rehearsal rooms, coffee shops, restaurants, and observation decks.
The mixed program reflects efforts in making the grand theater an open and vibrant public place at all times.
Like water ripples, mountain ranges, or clouds and mist? Actually, all of those and none of those.
OPEN Architecture has searched for form beyond shapes, and to them, this building is about movement.
Different perspectives reveal different forms, and the architecture resembles an ever-changing body of water.
“The design of the grand theater draws inspiration from the spirit of water that defines the city of Yichang. Water may seem soft yet it can have infinite strength—just read the gorges carved by the mighty river. Water is the soul of this unique city,” explains Li Hu, OPEN Architecture’s founding partner.
While sensing and capturing the energy of the site, the fluid form also emerges from the interaction of various elements: internal organizations, environmental conditions, and public spaces weaving in and out, above and below, all together forming a state of balance and inclusiveness.
Due to the natural conditions surrounding the site, the theater’s construction needs a particularly sensitive response.
To cope with the higher groundwater level near the river, the building partially floats to lift major functional spaces high above the ground, allowing the natural flow from the mountainous inland to the waterfront.
The building’s footprint and excavation work is greatly reduced.
Much of the ground is freed up to indigenous vegetation and open spaces with permeable paving for public activities.
Various passive and active strategies are adopted to make the building a contributing member to the sustainable development of the peninsula.
The floating theater also provides artists and stage staff with working spaces that are filled with natural light and ventilation, while creating opportunities for artists to interact with the public.
The exterior surface of the building features curved, matte anodized aluminum tubes that capture the subtle interplays of light and shadow throughout the day, creating an impression of liquid metal.
The part of the building that faces inland has a double-layered facade, with an inner layer of simple stacked geometry responding to complex internal functional needs, and an outer layer of aluminum tubes congruent with the whole building.
The distance between the two layers varies to create diverse in-between spaces, including a large semi-outdoor garden and cascading terraced gardens, which help to regulate the building’s microclimate.
Facing the river, natural ventilation is introduced into the lobby and circulation spaces through cavities in the façade.
Project: Yichang Grand Theater
Architects: OPEN Architecture
Lead Architects: Li Hu and Huang Wenjing
Design Team: Liu Xiaoyang, Shou Chengbin, Cao Mengxing, Zhou Zilin, Liu Xuanyu, Xu Jiayue, Che Yichao, Tao Weijie, Jia Han, and Wang Qirui
Client: Yichang Urban Construction Investment and Development Co., Ltd
Renderings: OPEN Architecture
