The Shanghai Oriental Art Center (Chinese: 上海东方艺术中心Shànghǎi Dōngfāng Yìshù Zhōngxīn) is one of the leading performing arts and cultural facilities in Shanghai and China. It is located adjacent to Century Avenue in the Pudong Administration and Culture Zone and was officially opened at the end of 2004. It is one of the symbols of the growth of western and traditional art forms in China in recent years.
Performances
Various cultural and musical performances are currently held in the center, beginning from the 2005 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Shanghai Concert. The venue is a regular venue for concert performances, including concerts of western opera by the CNOH company.[1]Shanghai Jingju Company, Shanghai Yueju Theatre and Shanghai Kunqu Theatre.
Architecture
The building was designed by French architect Paul Andreu and the Huadong Architectural Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd.. It merges architecturalartistry with functionality. The material of the façades is mainly laminated glass incorporating perforated metal sheets. The five interconnected hemispherical halls or 'petals', resembling a butterfly or butterfly orchid from above, each 'petal' belonging in turn to the entrance hall, the Performance Hall, the Concert Hall, the Exhibition Hall, and the Opera Hall, respectively. To avoid confusion when inside, the interior of each of the five segments are decorated with large distinctly coloured pebbles hung on the walls as a means of differentiating between them. Inside, the dark granite floors and richly hued furnishings offer the feeling of being inside a forest, while the metal-layered glass screen walls filter the sunshine for a softly diffused forest floor effect.
The project includes also all the suitable backstage facilities for the needs of the performance control areas, performances premises such as dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms and lounges. The high-tech ceiling changes colour during the night to reflect the nature of the performances inside. It also features ancillary public facilities, such an exhibition hall, music shops, restaurant and arts exchange premises.
