China has opened a new performing arts complex in Tongzhou, a historic port on the Grand Canal and the eastern gateway to Beijing. Designed by Perkins&Will’s and Schmidt Hammer Lassen’scombined Shanghai studio with a landscape by SLA, the Beijing Performing Arts Centre anchors Tongzhou’s recently designated cultural district, a collection of major civic projects that also includes amuseum, a library, and extensive parklands. Consisting of three world-class venues—an opera house, atheater, and a concert hall—as well as a multipurpose hall and an outdoor stage, the Beijing PerformingArts Centre will host hundreds of performances each year—everything from traditional Chinese andWestern operas to orchestral performances, stage dramas, and dances.
“We have always referred to this project as the containers for culture,” says chief architect, Chris Hardie.“Inspired by the storehouses that once held materials and food for transport into Beijing, wenow createstorehouses for local and global culture, a focal point for Beijing’s dedication to the arts.”
Designed to cultivate community while promoting the health and well-being of visitors and the environment, the project embodies the site’s storied history and its bright future in a subtle poetic expression. Conceived as lanterns for the performing arts, the buildings recall Tongzhou’s importance as a commercial shipping and storage hub by referencing the rooflines of the storehouses that formerly linedthe canal’s banks and the sails of traditional canal boats. The forms simultaneously evoke a theater curtainparting at the beginning of a performance. A broad plinth, accessed from all directions by splayed stepsand ramps, unifies the complex. This elevated platform extends the buildings’ lobbies into thesurrounding forested park, setting up the relationship between the interiors, the landscape, and the Grand Canal.
“Although each building’s design serves a specific function, their forms are complementary,” says projectdirector, Chao Chen, adding that the interior of the opera house, for instance, is shaped for optimalacoustics. “They work together to achieve this pleasing suggestion of lanterns at the water’s edge.”
Regional Reversal
Constructed in sections since the 5th century B.C., the 2,000-kilometer-long Grand Canal is a UNESCOWorld Heritage site. It connects Beijing to South China and has been vital to the nation’s culture andeconomy for millennia. The Tongzhou District of Beijing has long been an importantpoint of trade alongthe canal; as goods arrived in Tongzhou from the south, they were sorted and stored in warehouses untilneeded in Beijing. In a regional reversal, the performing arts complex willnow draw Beijing residentsand visitors from the city to the canal.
Green Design
The design team incorporated sustainable features throughout the project that promote human and
ecosystem health, earning the project a China Three Star rating for environmental performance. The highperformancebuilding envelope, which is shaded by a perforated aluminum screen, conserves 20% moreenergy than required by local code. The buildings plug into a district energy system that is primarilypowered by ground-source heat pumps, achieving a 60% renewable energy use rate. The HVAC system’sfiltration system combined with carbon dioxide sensors in public areas ensure high indoor air quality.Low-flow fixtures conserve water throughout the buildings. Rainwater gardens and permeable pavementscreate a porous, sponge-like landscape that absorbs and retainsstormwater on site, reducing the chance offlooding. Landscape irrigation, road and garage cleaning, and toilet flushing all use 100% reclaimedmunicipal greywater, further reducing the consumption of water resources.
Accessible Arts
A dedicated metro station below the park, along with ramps and stairs at ground level, facilitates publicaccess. The subterranean level also includes parking, retail, and a food and beverage complex interspersedwith sunken gardens. The plinth is always open as part of the park, providing visitors with inspiring viewsof Tongzhou and the Grand Canal.
“It’s gratifying to see the flow of people and the sharing of ideas and experiences in and around the
Beijing Performing Arts Centre, all reflected in the historic waterway,” says James Lu, regional director, Perkins&Will. “This project is truly a testament to the city’s vision and commitment to arts and culture.”
Team:
Architects: Schmidt Hammer Lassen / Perkins&Will
Agent Construction Company: Beijing Investment Group Co., Ltd
Local Design Institute: Beijing Institute of Architectural Design Co.,Ltd. (BIAD)
Landscape Schematic Design: SLA
Structure Schematic Design: Schlaich Bergermann Partner
Façade Schematic Design: Inhabit Group
Theater Consultant: Theatre Projects; Michel Cova Consultant
Acoustic Consultant: Kahle Acoustics srl.; East China Architectural Design & Research Institute
Stage Engineering: China Radio Film & Television Design and Research Institute
Curtain Wall Consultant: Shenzhen OEC Façade Technology Co., Ltd
Lighting Design: Gala Lighting Design Studio
Interior Design: BIAD Decoration Engineering & Design Co., Ltd
Landscape Design: Beijing Yuanben Shanchuan Technology Co., Ltd
Contractor: Beijing Construction Engineering Group
Photo credits: Zhu Yumeng
