Image: Kari Palsila

The Wuxi Grand Theater is the first major work of Finnish architecture in China, and it represents a truly European mode of design: the gesamtkunstwerk (total design). PES Architects, founded by Professor Pekka Salminen, controlled the design of every aspect of the theater, from the building to the upholstery, from lighting to furniture. They argue that this type of design is important for China where projects are typically built quickly and then recede into the background as the next project goes up, since a master designer is necessary to make sure all parts of a building work in harmony and that it can stand the test of time. Read more.

The form of the building is the result of its commanding site: it is perched on a man-made peninsula on the shores of Taihu Lake, a similar site condition to that of the Sydney Opera House. The designers opted for a grand gesture, namely gigantic steel and perforated-aluminum butterfly wings, to mark the building’s significance. On the interior, the material selection represents a blend of Chinese and Finnish traditions. Bamboo blocks are used on many of the auditorium surfaces, while in the halls, curving glass-block walls recall Finnish lakes covered with ice.

Image: Jussi Tiainen

Image: Pan Weijun

Image: Pan Weijun

Image: Jussi Tiainen

Image: Kari Palsila

Image: Kari Palsila

Image: Jussi Tiainen

Image: Jussi Tiainen

Image: Jussi Tiainen

[via Bustler]

by AJ Artemel

posted in Uncategorized

tagged auditorium, china, performance, PES architects, theater, wuxi

more articles by AJ Artemel