A façade resembling stage curtains opens the Xiqu Centre?s ground floor atrium to invite public use. The main theatre is suspended 27 metres above the plaza.
PROJECT Xiqu Centre, West Kowloon, Hong Kong
ARCHITECTS Revery Architecture (formerly Bing Thom Architects) in joint venture with Ronald Lu & Partners
TEXT Sylvia Chan
PHOTOS Ema Peter
Classical Chinese opera is a vivid art form with flamboyant costumes and face paint, elaborate movements, and a boisterous mix of vocals and percussion. Also known by its Chinese name, Xiqu, the form developed during the Ming dynasty (1368?1644) and regional variations are included on UNESCO?s list of intangible cultural heritage practices.
Xiqu?s significance has recently gained further recognition in Hong Kong. Earlier this year, the city opened the world?s first performance venue specifically designed for classical Chinese opera. Designed by Revery Architecture (formerly Bing Thom Architects) in collaboration with local architect Ronald Lu & Partner, the $347-million Xiqu Centre is a solid foundation for celebrating?and reinventing?the heritage Chinese art form. Poised at the gateway to the new West Kowloon Cultural District, the Xiqu Centre is designed to evoke a giant lantern. It exterior is made of fins CNC-cut from marine-grade aluminum pipe, arranged to create a woven pattern.
The seven-storey, 30,000-square-metre performance hall stands at the entrance of the West Kowloon Cultural District. The 40-hectare area, masterp...