Image: Virgile Simon Bertrand
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the asymmetrical 1,800-seat theatre doesn’t just look good, it also sounds good. Hadid consulted with several acoustic specialists noting that it was important to determine what the space would be primarily used for – so they could cater to that specifically. “The two traditions of Chinese and Western opera are mutually exclusive. With Western opera, the focus is on natural acoustics whereas in Chinese opera, the drama and story have priority… Our research has shown us many benefits of asymmetrical auditoriums. They can give real depth to the natural acoustics while concealed lighting and audio equipment can be revealed as needed.” Zaha Hadid seems to have merged two completely different aesthetics from two completely different times – and managed to make it work together in spectacular harmony. It seems if we want to look into the future of this world, all we need to do is look to the past.