UNStudio designs 'the lyric theatre complex' in hong kong's vibrant cultural district

UNStudio‘s latest project is the world class theater designed for dance and theatrical arts. the proposal is situated in the west kowloon cultural district of hong kong and intends to become a center of social activity for people to gather and enjoy performances. the building boasts a waterfront location alongside the greater cultural district which comprises 40 hectares of open public space and a wide range of cultural venues. museums, theatres and concert halls, creating a vibrant new district for hong kong.

all renderings by DBOX

the mixed-use complex overseen by UNStudio asia is approximately 41,000 m2 in size and comprises three theaters (the lyric theater, the medium theater and the studio theater). the scheme also includes a large rehearsal room which can be used as an additional performing arts venue, a resident company center with eight dance and rehearsal studios, administrative facilities and an extensive program allocation for retail, dining and entertainment.

whilst the three theaters draw their own distinct identities from the types of performing arts to which they cater, their designs follow a unified approach essential to both creating a complementary family of theaters and a coherent building. each theater therefore has its own distinct color which relates to its function. this color is not only applied in the auditoriums, but also in the correlating foyers, thus also acting as a means of wayfinding. the color and intensity of the spaces become more vibrant as the visitors get closer to the performing arts venues: the arrival hall and ‘central spine’ circulation routes employ neutral tones, but the intensity of color builds and reaches its height when entering the auditorium.

the project is designed to be open, welcoming and inclusive – aiming to attract a broader public and make the performing arts accessible to everyone. transparency is therefore an important facet in the design of the new lyric theatre complex; it openly displays what is taking place inside and invites in theater-goers and general visitors alike. this inclusive approach is further supported by providing additional programs for the public to enjoy that is independent of performance time-tables.

project info:

project name: the lyric theatre complex

client: west kowloon cultural district authority

architect: UNStudio

location: hong kong

date: 2014 – ongoing

building surface (gfa): approximately 41,000sm

building site: 7,747sm

program: mixed-use theater complex

lyric theater 1450 seats, medium theater 600 seats, studio theater 270 seats, large rehearsal room, resident company centre with 8 dance studios and administrative and support facilities, retail, dining, and entertainment program, extended communal basement within the vicinity of the lyric theatre complex.

scope: architecture design, interior design, landscape design
schematic design, detailed design, construction documentation/tendering, construction supervision, post hand-over services
on-site supervision, BIM services

credits:

UNStudio
ben van berkel, hannes pfau with garett hwang, shuyan chan

project team:

sean ellis, praneet verma, josias hamid, irina bogdan, alexander meyers, jeff lam, iker mugarra flores, deepak jawahar, mimmo barbaccia, evan shieh, william benjamin lucas, caroline smith, vera kleesattel, albert lo, arnold wong, emily yan, haibo he, abraham fung, mihai soltuz, betty fan, johnny chan, berta sola sanchez, eric jap, chuanzhong zhang, kyle chou, bennet hu, kenneth sit, kevin yu, weihong dong, stephni jacobson, piao liu, francois gandon, james jones, mingxuan xie, iris pastor, jonathan rodgers, kaisi hsu, pragya vashisht, nora schueler.

lead consultants: UNStudio / ad+rg

advisors:

structure, civil, geotechnical: AECOM

mep, environmental: WSP

theater consultant: the space factory, carre and angier

acoustic consultant: marshall day

facade consultant: inHabit

landscape consultant: LWK partners

lighting consultant: ag licht

BIM consultant: isBIM

traffic consultant: MVA

visualisations:

all renderings: DBOX

masterplan image: © WKCDA

with thanks to:
the hong kong repertory theatre for the stage images of the medium theatre and the studio theatre
the hong kong ballet for the stage images of the lyric theatre

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