The building of China's new National Grand Theater in Beijing is
scheduled for completion in July 2007, local government sources
revealed on Sunday. The theater, designed by French architect Paul
Andreu, will come into operation the autumn after, the sources
said.
The project's leadership team, founded in January 1998 as the
top decision-making body for the venture, have determined the
theater will be non-profit and for the public good. The municipal
government of Beijing will manage its daily operation, the sources
said.
The interior of the theater is due to be finished by the end of
this year. Work began in December 2001 after four years of
deliberation by China's policy makers. Located in the heart of
Beijing, near the Great Hall of the People and Tiananmen Square,
the theater stands out from its surroundings with it titanium-clad
dome shape.
The silver "tear drop", as some commentators have dubbed it, has
sparked debate among domestic experts on whether such a modern
design was appropriate for the center of Beijing. However, it was
listed among the top 10 architectural designs by the US-based
Journal Business Week for its energy-saving and
environmentally friendly design.
The structure, covering 149,500 square meters, comprises three
gigantic halls including a 2,416-seat opera house, a 2,017-seat
concert hall and a 1,040-seat theater.
With an investment of 2.69 billion yuan (US$341 million) the
theater is the biggest cultural project of China's 10th
Five-Year Plan period (2001-2005).
(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2006)
