Qingdao Grand Theater in China

The Grand Theater Qingdao lies in the Laoshan district of the harbor city at a newly created park that stretches from the sea to the foot of the Laoshan mountains. The objective of the design was to translate the landscape and the elements into the language of architecture, creating a unique ensemble in harmony with the genius loci, or the spirit of the place. The building rises up out of the landscape like a mountain massif, while a “floating” cloudlike roof surrounds it. This publication shows the significance of this “stage of urban life” in the historical context of China’s opera and concert houses. Texts by the architecture critic Christian Brensing and photos by the architecture photographer Christian Gahl present the building in detail.