Shanghai will soon have a spectacular new theater located in a vast forest, on the outskirts of the city. According to JFDaily, the main construction of the complex which is called 'Nine Tree Future Art Center,' has recently been completed and is set to open to the public in August 2019.
Occupying an area of 120,500 square meters, the theater lies within an 800,000-square-meter forest located in Shanghai's Fengxian District. The complex is divided in two parts. "We took our inspiration from a sprouting seed," introduces Zhao Bin, Shanghai Construction No. 4 (Group) Co.'s project manager. "The two sections will be the two leaves of the plant."
Image via JFDaily
According to Zhao, one of the 'leaves' will contain a 1200-seat main theater, and the other will house a 500-seat multifunctional theater and a 300-seat semi-open theater. There will also be a 2,000-seat forest theater along with a 500-seat water theater outside the main center. Here, audiences can enjoy a production while surrounded by the forest, or in the company of flowing water.
Image via JFDaily
The project emphasizes the combination of human, art and nature. The exterior walls employ two types of materials. The side near the forest will use glass material, where spectators can see the forest through the transparent walls, while the side adjacent to the road will use white concrete walls with mottled decorations.
Image via JFDaily
Since the forest where the construction is taking place is home to egrets, Zhao and his team established several surveillance sites to detect the noise and dust emission to manage the effect on the wildlife.
Image via JFDaily
The construction has entered the inner decoration phase, reports Shine. The theater is slated to host a national arts festival in October next year.
[Cover image via JFDaily]
