Guangzhou Opera House

The Guangzhou Opera House stands on Zhujiang West Road in the Zhujiang New Town district, its two asymmetrical, boulder-like forms designed by architect Zaha Hadid and completed in 2010, standing in deliberate contrast to the rectilinear glass towers surrounding it in Guangzhou's central business district. The building is regarded as one of the three largest performing arts theaters in China, with a main auditorium seating over 1,800 and a smaller multifunctional theater for chamber performances, both wrapped in the building's distinctive faceted, curving exterior skin. Visitors can explore the public lobby areas and exterior plaza without a ticket, taking in the building's sculptural geometry from multiple angles, while those attending a scheduled opera, ballet, symphony or theatrical performance experience the full interior, including a dramatic canyon-like lobby space that rises through several levels. A visit limited to the exterior and public lobby areas takes about an hour, while attending a performance extends the visit to two or three hours including intermission. The clearest photo vantage points are the riverside plaza in front of the building, which frames both boulder-shaped volumes against the Zhujiang New Town skyline, and the illuminated night exterior, when the building's geometry is emphasized by facade lighting. The building draws steady visitor traffic throughout the week for photography, with the busiest moments coinciding with performance nights, when ticket holders and photographers gather in the plaza before showtime.