DUTS design has realized a huge theater in linxia, china, inspired by the shape and texture grand mosque of oman. measuring 90 meters in diameter and 46 meters in height, ‘linxia grand theater’ offers a striking landmark on the landscape.
images by wu qingshan
on the request of the owner, DUTS design translated the shape and texture of oman’s grand mosque into a large public building. this brief brought huge challenges to the design team, primarily how to apply the proportions of the grand mosque to a much larger program and how to integrate modern design techniques into this traditional body. DUTS main goal was to create a contemporary architectural expression with a strong middle eastern character.
after careful consideration, the designers abandoned the simple, cumbersome and expensive solution of aluminum curtain wallling to realize the textured pattern of mosque dome. instead, cross-sectional steel beams are welded to each other to ‘weave’ the textured structure of the dome, similar to the bird’s nest structure of the national olympic sports center.
the shell structure, curtain wall structure and curtain wall texture are combined into one, saving a lot of costs and making the building’s structure seamlessly flow as one. as a result, the building seems impermeable at the top and then more open toward the bottom. the white-colored facade turns the dome into an absttraction, creating a strong visual impact on the site.
in order to maintain the dome height while making full use of space, the grand theater main body is one floor level up. the lower part is used to set up VIP lounges and large loading and unloading areas to meet the functional needs.
the theater is designed to accommodate 1,052 spectators, including 102 active seats in the pool. the auditorium is divided into the pool seat and the floor seat. the pool seat can accommodate 860 people, and the floor seat can accommodate 192 spectators to watch the show.
the stage is the core of the entire theater, and it’s shaped into the form of chinese character ‘品’. it has a two-part area of 120 square meters of music pool, accommodating a symphony orchestra with 100 people. center performance area stage has a car side, 15 meters square large stage platform, ballet stage, walking turntable with diameter of 14 meters, five double electric lift stage and other functions. these functional stages can be controlled by the computer, to be raised, rotated and moved to complete the complex screen scene transformation, and fully meet the different needs of musicals, operas, ballet, drama and theatrical performances.
project info:
name: linxia national grand theater
location: nanbinhe east road, linxia, gansu, china
client: government of linxia
architecture firm: DUTS design
architect in charge: zhong ling
architectural design team: yang youjun, ahn yunsil, ellix wu, sun jinyin
structural design team: fang xiang, zhang mao-ming
area: 15,000 sqm (161,458.66 sft)
photography: wu qingshan | @wuqingshan.archphotographer
designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: lynne myers | designboom
