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Henning Larsen designs an opera house that slopes above a lake in China

Cultural Facilities

Henning Larsen designs an opera house that slopes above a lake in China

Its placement creates the illusion that the building is emerging from the water


By BD+C Staff | January 27, 2015
Henning Larsen designs an opera house that slopes above a lake in China
Henning Larsen designs an opera house that slopes above a lake in China

Designer of the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, Danish practice Henning Larsen, has released proposed plans for a new opera house north of Hangzhou, in eastern China.

Designboom reports that the announcement coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Royal Danish Opera, “one of the studio’s most significant works to date.”

The opera house will be part of a new cultural complex that will include a theater, two museums, an art school and retail outlets in Hangzhou’s suburban district of Yuhang.

The structure is planned to stand in the middle of a lake, surrounded by a large area of parkland. Its location will make it the epicenter of the complex, with its lattice, geometric façade on display to the rest of the city. As of the announcement, there is no targeted completion date.

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