The Grand Theater is situated on the eastern side of the city of Qingdao between a bay in the Yellow Sea and Mount Laoshan (1,130m above sea level). The style of the building echoes the enchanting landscape, with the massif and the lightness of the clouds reflected in the appearance of the opera house. It rises from the landscape like a mountain – and a cloud-like roof seems to wreathe the four buildings. The raised terraces in the surroun- ding park are reminiscent of a mountain plateau, and take their bearings both from the sea and the mountains. The opera house itself offers direct views of the coast. Audiences can enter the auditorium on two levels, either via the lower level, giving access to the large cloakrooms and the lower circle, or via the main foyer above with its large glass facades and view of the terrace, park and Yellow Sea. The walls and floor of the foyer are clad with local stone, which emphasizes the affinity of the building with the mountain.
The overall architectural concept for the State School of Ballet and Artistry focuses on the special nature of the school, with its constant ebb and flow of pupils between the creative world of dance and the classic functions of full-time schooling. A curved multistory hall runs through the new building, with the adjacent four-story school and ballet rooms facing each other. The various areas of the ensemble are related to each other above this lin- king space, and accessed on the second floor via a bridge. Large display-window openings in the façade provide transparency and a view of the outside world for the dancers and give passers-by a glimpse of the ballet rooms and dance training.
Image: Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin ©Marcus Bredt
GRAND THEATER QINGDAO (C) CHRISTIAN GAHLREAD ALSO: AA Greece Visiting School 2014 (22 September – 01 October 2014)