The Egg- Magnificent and Gigantic
The immediate appearance of its structure as an egg floating in water gives the
name ‘The Egg’ to the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) opera
house located in Beijing, China. The main building, underwater corridors, underground
garage and the artificial lake besieging the main opera house are a visual treat!
It covers an area of about 118,900 sq meters (about 142,203 sq yard); and
the total area of building is about 217,500 sq km (about 260,127 sq yard). Now it
is believed to be the deepest architecture in Beijing (the deepest place of the
center is -32.5 meters, equivalent to the height of a 10-floor building.). It presents
a sharp contrast to its surroundings with its oval exterior, which makes it very
eye-catching. Symphonies, dance shows, ballets, dramas, operas and other kinds of
performances are frequently staged in the opera house.
Initially, to turn up this project, the Chinese authorities held an architectural
competition to build a great opera house in the heart of the city, just a stone's
throw from the Forbidden City and the Tien-an-men Square. The French architect Paul
Andreu won the contract for the design of a large shell that rests like a protective
canopy in an artificial lake. He designed the NCPA opera house by fastidiously
used a combination of titanium, glass and water as the briny elements to be highlighted
in the project. By using the latest technology, it was ensured that the water in
the lake will not freeze in winter and algae won’t grow in summer either. National
Centre for the Performing Arts and its reflection in water add radiance and charm
to each other. All the passages and entrances are built underwater.
The exterior of it, like a steel-structured oval shell, is an ingenious material
integration of over 18,000 titanium plates and over 1,000 sheets of ultra-white
glass, which creates a vivid visual effect as if the curtain is drawn apart slowly
before your eyes. With the weight of 6,457 tons and the 212.2- meter longest axis,
the steel-structured oval shell is the largest dome in the world at present. Surrounding
the centre is a crystal-like artificial lake taking an area of 35,500 square meters.
One of the biggest problems with the structure is keeping the titanium shell shining
brightly. Dust and pollution can be washed off but removing bird droppings is not
so easy. An army of cleaners has been employed to keep the shell clean and a nanotechnology
film has been applied to the glass to dissolve the dropping and dust.
NCPA has been divided into three distinct performance venues such as The Opera House,
Concert Hall and the Theatre are the three performance venues inside the center.
Even though they are separate venues yet are connected by air corridors.
Opera House:
The Opera House with golden color as its main hue is the most magnificent building
inside it. Operas, dance dramas, ballets, and large-scale shows stage here. It has
2091 seats, which has an arc-shaped metal-net wall of the auditorium. This area
allows lights and shadows changing according to the development of the performance.
The seamless ballet stage is believed to be the largest one in China, whose surface
is made of Oregon timber. The three-layer structure of the stage makes it have possibly
the best resilience and provides the best protect to the dancers' feet.
Concert Hall:
By the east side of the Opera House sits the Concert hall where the large-scale
symphonies and Chinese traditional music are performed. The silver white color makes
it elegant and serene. Auditorium is around the stage, which makes it possible for
the audience to enjoy performances from any angle. The ceiling of the hall rolling
like waves is propitious to the diffusion of the sound. All the specialized designs
realize the perfect integration between architectural and acoustic aesthetics. One
thing cannot be missed that the pipe organ placed in the hall with 94 stops and
an impressive array of 6,500 pipes is the largest one in Asia.
Theatre:
The design of the theatre has a distinct Chinese traditional style, where traditional
Chinese operas, stage plays and national songs and dances primarily perform. The
Zhejiang's silk on the walls are flameproof, full of strong Chinese traditional
taste. The advanced stage can not only satisfy the special needs of Chinese traditional
opera's performance but highlight the closeness between the audience and the performers
as well.
Auditorium:
Air inlets of the air conditions are built under the seats. While seeing the performances,
the audience will not feel the wind but will enjoy the coolness. Noise elimination
equipments are installed in order to maintain silence while the performance is going
on.
Facts
Type: Arts complex
Location: Beijing, China
Construction started: December 2001
Completed: July 2007
Opening: December 2007
Height:
46.28m
Technical details
Structural system: Ellipsoid dome of titanium and glass surrounded by an artificial
lake
Floor area: 219,400 m2
Architect: Paul Andreu