Construction on the National Grand Theater began in December 2001 and was completed in late September 2008. Total investment stood at 2.69
billion yuan (about 336 million US dollars).
The National Center for the Performing Arts is located in the central part of Beijing, adjacent to the
Great Hall of the People and Tian'anmen Square. It covers 118,900m2 with a total construction area of
217,500m2 (including 46,600m2 of parking area).
The main building of NCPA comprises an exterior enclosing structure, Opera House, Concert Hall,
Theater, Experimental Theater and auxiliary facilities. The exterior is a super shell in the shape of a
half ellipsoid with an east-west span of 212.20m and north-south span of 143.64m. It is 46.28m high
and reaches a depth of 32.50m under the ground. The artificial lake surrounding the ellipsoid shell
covers an area of 35,500 m2. Plants cover a total area of 39,000 m2.
The magnificent Opera House is designed for performances of opera, ballet, and dance drama, it has 2,398seats. The Opera House has
conformed to the theater standard for its acoustic reverberation time of 1.6 seconds. It sets an example for the perfect combination of architectural
acoustics and theatrical aesthetics.
Solemnness and elegance are the main themes of the Concert Hall. The main music genres presented here are orchestral pieces, symphonic
pieces, and traditional Chinese music. The organ in the Concert Hall is the largest one in China, has the most pipes and stops and produces the
optimum sound colors.
The theatre, with its silk wallpaper creating a conventional joyful atmosphere, is mainly used for
performing plays, Peking and local operas, and folk music programs, it has 1,044 seats. The
drummer-style revolver, located on the main stage, allows for simultaneous revolving and
ascending or descending movement. The stage apron has a unique design very suitable for the
traditional China Opera performance.
In Addition to the three main functional houses and the experimental theatre, there are a couple of
areas that provide public services like an exhibition zone, library, pressroom, petal-shaped balcony,
souvenir shop, and a cafe. Visitors may spend a leisure time there and enjoy a milieu of the arts.
Said to resemble a "silver tear", the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) has already become a place of interest and attracted a lot of
tourists.
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