Shanghai Grand Opera House by Snøhetta Opens as a New Cultural Landmark on the Huangpu River
The 1.6 million-square-foot complex adds three auditoriums, rehearsal rooms and public spaces designed to make the opera house a daily destination.
- The Shanghai Grand Opera House officially opened to the public on October 17, located on the banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai's Expo Houtan district.
- Located in the Expo Back Beach area, the building's sweeping spiral staircase resembles an unfurled hand fan and responds to the Huangpu River's tidal rhythm with fluid, dynamic form.
- Spanning approximately 1.6 million square feet, the facility comprises three theaters with a total seating capacity of 4,200, including the Red Hall with 2,000 seats and Shen Hall with 1,200 seats.
- Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, founding partner of Snøhetta, designed the space prioritizing public accessibility, stating "'publicness' is not just an ideological vision; it must be translated into a spatial reality."
- Designers hope the building becomes deeply integrated into Shanghai's daily life within 50 years, no longer perceived as merely a "new landmark" but as a familiar part of the city.
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16 Articles
After a decade of design and construction, the cultural center designed by Snøhetta officially opened its doors to the public in Shanghai. Along the banks of the Huangpu River, in Shanghai, a staircase...
Shanghai's 'Audacious' New Opera House Just Opened Its Doors—and a Gravity-Defying Staircase—to the Public
The riverfront opera house is Shanghai's latest cultural statement. It features three performance halls and is designed to be accessible to everyone, not just ticket-holders
The Grand Opera House opened in Shanghai with a giant spiral ladder, reminiscent of a Chinese fan, and the building on the bank of the Huangpu River was designed by the Norwegian architectural office Snøhetta, which was inaugurated on 17 October 2026.
Its shape is reminiscent of a traditional Chinese fan, dance movements, piano keys, and the flow of the Huangpu River.
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