paul andreu composes jinan grand theater in china

paul andreu composes jinan grand theater in china
photo by philippe ruault
all images courtesy of paul andreu architecte

french practice paul andreu architecte has completed the ‘jinan grand theater’, part of the ‘provincial cultural & art center plaza’ in the chinese city. the masterplan for the site is articulated around a park, which connects surrounding areas of the scheme. to the north of the site, three towers rise out of a shared base housing a hotel, apartment units and office space, while to the south, three independent ‘shells’ form the ‘grand theater’: an opera hall, a concert hall, and a multifunctional arena.

an elevated walking connects the two halves of the site
photo by philippe ruault

the three shells are in constant dialog with the three towers, establishing an identity for the project – as well as the broader region. the buildings are covered with an opaque metal cladding system, accented with strips of glazing, which are gently illuminated at night. a large opening at each entrance to the plaza divides the project in two, while in the center a large covered passage leads guests from the theater complex to the other half of the scheme. all of the site’s structures feature an abstract vegetal pattern, designed to establish the buildings as green mountains.

an external amphitheater
photo by philippe ruault

internally, one enters the ‘grand theater’ through a dramatic sequence of spaces. the entrance hall extends along the building’s façade, offering access to each of the distinct audience halls. the cuboid opera hall comprises balconies oriented towards the stage, while at the upper level a reception lobby can operate independently. the asymmetric shape of the balconies contrast the strict levels within the scheme. the ovular concert hall is enclosed beneath a contrasting timber-clad ceiling, shaped for acoustic purposes. covered in blue tones, the multifunctional hall forms a flexible space enabling a variety of different performances.

the masterplan for the site is articulated around a park, which connects the scheme
photo by philippe ruault

the centrally positioned park comprises three pedestrian levels, connected at various points. elevated landscaped areas open sightlines toward the structures and across the surrounding environment. the continuous greenery hides the delivery zone for the grand theater, while the artists’ entrance is accessed via a footbridge. the park allows visitors to stroll among the forested areas, or enjoy the riverside walkways.

to see more on the project during its construction phase, see designboom’s previous coverage here.

the ‘shells’ emerge above the trees
photo by philippe ruault

the curved forms of the internal volumes
photo by philippe ruault

the concert hall
photo by philippe ruault

the multifunctional hall
photo by philippe ruault

aerial view of the illuminated site
photo by philippe ruault

the ‘jinan grand theater’ at night
photo by philippe ruault

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project info:

client: construction & investment co., ltd pour jinan west district
architects: paul andreu architecte paris with richez_associés and BIAD
(katharina kriener, stephanie boufflet, pengzi zhang, riccardo vanigli, olivia faury, antoine barbeyer, yanfang niu, kasia dudzik, hailin zhai, chen wei, wei dong, guo kun), special thanks to judy yang and pingping hou
scenography: ducks sceno
acoustician: kahle acoustics
paints, colors, artistic interventions: alain bony
construction company: zhongfu tai, CSGEC
photography: philippe ruault