PDE student
Harbin Grand Theatre
The art of metal construction
The Harbin Grand Theater lies in the riverside wetland on the north bank of the Songhua River. And the entire project covers an area of 1.8 square kilometres. In February of 2010, MAD won the design rights for the cultural centre project through a competition.
The Cultural Island is surrounded by water on all sides, with the open riverbank as the background. The main entrance bridge is like a jade belt across the wetland, connecting the city and the cultural centre. Several fluid-style buildings extend to the surroundings, using the undulations of the terrain to lead the flow of people from different directions to the entrance of the Grand Theater and the Palace of Culture and Art.
The outer surface of the Grand Theater building is made of specially made pure white aluminum panels, and some walls are also made of white stone and concrete, giving people a feeling of pure ice and snow. The natural lighting design of the skylight at the top of the auditorium can fully satisfy the indoor lighting during the day, which not only saves energy but also creates a special light and shadow atmosphere. The Grand Theater consists of two theaters, a large one and a small one, which in total can accommodate 1,600 people. Besides, a large amount of solid wood is used in the interior space. On one hand, it provides the best acoustic effect for the auditorium of the Grand Theater and on the other hand, these solid woods and the white walls form a contrast of cool and warm colors, revealing the unique warm atmosphere of the snow mountain log house.
