China is an ancient country. It existed in full glory when half the world did not even know what civilization meant. The country also has a rich architectural history the greatest specimen of which is the Great Wall of China, a structure so gigantic that it is visible from the moon. A country that is fixated on building structures that awe the world and set examples has not stopped in the ancient times when it comes to building impressive structures.Moving away from the traditional Chinese structural designs the modern China is now leaning towards buildings that not only come in a variety of architectural designs but are meant to surprise the world just like their ancient counterparts did before them.The National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) is an example of such a building. It is a work of art in itself. It is located near the Forbidden City, to the west of the Great Hall of The People and the Tiananmen Square in Beijing. It is an opera house that has been built to mind-blowing proportions and breath taking beauty.The NCPA is remarkable because of its shape. It has an oval dome shape which closely resembles an egg. Therefore colloquially it is also known as the Giant Egg. Ironically the structure was meant to resemble a pearl or the rising sun. But to the popular perception it has resembled the egg and therefore it is famous by the same name.To say that the NCPA is extravagant will be euphuism, that is, the king of understatement. The ellipsoid dome is made of titanium and glass. The entire structure is surrounded by a manmade lake. Architect Paul Andreu argued that the structure had been designed not to stand out among the ancient structures of the Forbidden City or the Tiananmen Square but to melt into the background. In the day time the red walls of the older structures are more noticeable than the steel and glass building that does a good job of making a good background with its water, trees, open spaces and the rest of the exterior décor. But at night the lighted building seems truly remarkable as its design resembles the act of stage curtains being pulled back.The dome is 212 meters lengthwise and 144 meters in width. It is 46 meters high. The total area covered by the dome is 217,500 sq meters. The lake is surrounded by a green belt consisting of 39,000 trees. It was constructed between 2001 and 2007. The building is entered through an 80 meter long corridor that stretches underneath the lake. It is a beautiful sight to watch when you walk through the corridor and the sun shines down through the lake. The huge foyer is a floor that is built with stones from 10 different regions of China. The walls are covered with panels of Jequitiba or Brazilian rosewood. The glass curtain lets in the sunlight during the daytime and the city lights during the night.The NCPA consists of an opera house, a concert hall, theatre, and a multifunctional theatre.
- The Opera House has a sitting capacity of 2,398. It is the largest venue of the NCPA and is used host the best dances and operas.
- The Concert Hall can sit 2,019 people and 120 musicians or 180 performers.
- The Theatre consists of sitting arrangement for 1,035 people and is preferred for performance of traditional Chinese performance or dance.
- The multi-functional theatre is relatively smaller with seating arrangement for 556. It is preferable for solo performances, modern dance and has two stages that can be raised and lowered as required.