Shanghai Grand Opera House nears opening

The Shanghai Grand Opera House has completed construction and is set to open to the public later this year.

Located on the banks of the Huangpu River beside Shanghai Expo Culture Park, the landmark covers 5.3 hectares with a total floor area of 146,000 square meters.

Designed with a striking fan-shaped rooftop inspired by a traditional Chinese folding fan, the opera house features a signature double-helix staircase connecting the ground level to the rooftop. The staircase leads to a 10,000-sq-m public viewing platform overlooking the Huangpu River, the park, and Shanghai's skyline.

The venue includes three main performance spaces with a combined seating capacity of 4,200. Harmony Hall, the main venue for opera, seats 2,000 and features Asia's largest theater stage, covering about 3,500 sq m. The 1,200-seat Soar Theatre is designed for opera, dance, and traditional Chinese performances, while the 1,000-seat Open Stage offers flexible configurations for immersive productions and chamber performances.

The opera house also features the Grand Atelier, a dedicated space for arts education, film screenings, master classes, and public cultural activities.

Combining innovative architecture with advanced stage technology, the Shanghai Grand Opera House is expected to become one of the city's premier cultural landmarks and a leading destination for world-class performances.

The exterior of the Shanghai Grand Opera House. [Photo/Shanghai Grand Opera House]

An aerial view of the double-helix staircase. [Photo/Shanghai Grand Opera House]

The interior of Harmony Hall. [Photo/Shanghai Grand Opera House]

The interior of Soar Theatre. [Photo/Shanghai Grand Opera House]

The interior of Open Stage. [Photo/Shanghai Grand Opera House]

[Photo/Shanghai Grand Opera House]

[Photo/Shanghai Grand Opera House]

[Photo/Shanghai Grand Opera House]

[Photo/Shanghai Grand Opera House]