China State Theater Under Construction

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, December 14, 2001

China State Theater Under Construction

After four years's preparation and with a design chosen from among 69 architectural plans submitted by 36 architectural firms in 10 countries, the China State Theater kicked off construction recently in Beijing, the Chinese capital.

Construction of the China State Theater started recently in the Chinese capital after four years of preparations, official sources announced Thursday in Beijing.

Located to the west of the Great Hall of the People, the State Theater will occupy an area of 118,900 square meters and boast a floor space of 149,500 square meters.

The egg-shaped, silvery building will consist of an opera house,a concert hall, a drama house, an art exchange center, audio-visual products shops and other facilities.

Costing 2.688 billion yuan (323 million U.S. dollars), the project is expected to be completed in four years. The theater's design, created by French architect Paul Andreu, was chosen from among 69 architectural plans submitted by 36 architectural firms in 10 countries

Departments involved with the building of the theater also solicited opinions from experts and the general public on the design before choosing a final plan.

The project will be jointly constructed by Beijing City Construction Group, Shanghai Construction Industry Group and a Hong Kong construction company.

Backgrounder--Paul Andreu and his design

Although an engineer by training, Paul Andreu's artistic qualities quickly came to the fore, two gifts that he was able to develop by studying architecture. And it is this combination of the technical and the artistic that characterises all of his works.

Rewarded the prize of the Aga Khan in 1995 for the integration of the airport of Jakarta into the surrounding landscape, Paul Andreu has also won the competition for the design of the Peking Opera that will be located at the heart of the Forbidden City. Elliptic in shape, the Opera will be placed on water and linked to land via a glass gallery installed above water level. The building will be made of two large titan shells opening on both sides onto a wide glass wall. The titan used will allow the building to live and to evolve, taking on different shades along with the changing natural light.

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