Amongst many renowned firms and ambitious proposals, Ateliers Jean Nouvel has been selected as the winner of an opera house competition for Shenzhen. The winning proposal is called The Light of the Sea and features sweeping futuristic forms reaching out to the water. The gesture is designed to embody the elegance of water and to blend into the aquatic surroundings.
The winning proposal is described as telling “a highly original story of music and the sea from the perspective of the city, the mountain, and the sea,” and it convinced the jury that this design would act as the best landmark and cultural hub for Shenzhen. The Light of the Sea will include two large opera halls—one seating 2,300 and the other seating 1,800 people—as well as a smaller operetta hall, a multi-use theater, and other flexible spaces for numerous events.
Many of these spaces are designed adjacent to the large glass facades that overlook the China Sea. The designers explain that transparency helps connect the sea-inspired design with the water surrounding the building on three sides. On the interior, the theme is continued with a range of materials, including iridescent mother-of-pearl which is both related to the water in concept and also through its shimmering visual effect.
This competitive design challenge was organized by Shenzhen’s Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources, Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio, and Television, and the Bureau of Public Works. In total, 17 finalists were selected from 100 responses to the competition, and each designed their vision for the site. Some of the other great designs were completed by renowned firms such as BIG, Kengo Kuma + Associates, and MVRDV.
Keep scrolling to see more incredible imagery from these top architects. Then, check out projects by the star architect who won the competition like the National Museum of Qatar and the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Jean Nouvel has just been selected as the winner of a competitive design competition that attracted some of the best firms in the world.
The Light of the Sea is designed to embody the elegance of water and to blend into the aquatic surroundings.
Check out other entries for the Shenzhen Opera House Competition:
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD):
Kengo Kuma + Associates and Shenzhen University Institute of Architectural Design
Design by Kengo Kuma + Associates and Shenzhen University Institute of Architectural Design (Rendering: MIR)
MVRDV and Guangzhou Design Institute
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