wuzhen theater by KRIS YAO | ARTECH rises out of the water

wuzhen theater by KRIS YAO | ARTECH rises out of the water
photo courtesy of the wuzhen tourism development

KRIS YAO | ARTECH was commissioned by the wuzhen tourism development co., ltd to realize the ‘wuzhen theater’ in the traditional water village of zhejiang, china. the formal design of the performance center has been realized under the culturally auspicious and significant ‘twin lotus’. it is composed of two (a 600 and 1200 seat) functional theaters that are oval in shape–the smaller volume which is transparent, interlocks with the larger solid opaque one that is clad in reclining wall segments constructed from ancient supersized brick that wrap around the foyer. the bigger of the two is enclosed in a zig zag fan-shaped glass front that is adorned with a chinese window motif. named ‘the most beautiful theater in china’, the ‘wuzhen theater’ rises out of the water, approached either by boat or by foot, and stands as a cultural landmark and meeting point for the town’s inhabitants.

the ‘wuzhen theater’ illuminated by night is reflected in the surrounding water
photo by jeffrey cheng

the contemporary architecture of the theater offers a visual break from the traditional structures around it
photo by jeffrey cheng

view from the water
photo by jeffrey cheng

up lose of the zig zag fan-shaped glass façade
photo by jeffrey cheng

photo by jeffrey cheng

interior view of the larger oval’s glass exterior
photo by jeffrey cheng

ground floor
photo by jeffrey cheng

theater interior
photo by jeffrey cheng

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project info:

project: wuzhen theater
location: zhejiang, china
clients: wuzhen tourism development co., ltd
design architect: kris yao | artech architects
design team – taipei: kuo-chien shen, winnie wang, wen-li liu, jake sun, andy chang, kevin lin
design team – shanghai: wen-hong chu, fei-chun ying, nai-wen cheng, chu-yi hsu, qi-shen wu, jane jiang,
collaborative design institute: shanghai institute of architectural design & research co. ltd

consultants:

theater: theatre projects consultants ltd
façade: marco skin studio
acoustics: shen milsom &wilke ltd
contractor: jujiang construction group
building structure: reinforced concrete, steel framing
materials: blue brick, glass curtain wall, wood grilles
floor levels: 2 floors above ground, 1 floor below ground
building use: theatre
site area: 54,980㎡
lot coverage area: 6,920 m2
total floor area: 21,750 m2
design phase: 2010.05 – 2010.12
construction phase: 2011.01 – 2013.04
opening: 2013.05.08