Xiqu Center ( Chinese 戲曲 中心 or Center for Chinese Opera) is a theater and educational complex located in the Hong Kong district of Chimsachey ( Yauchimwon County). It is part of the West Kowloon Cultural District, and is managed by the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. The architects of the building were Revery Architecture (Canada) and Ronald Lu and Partners (Hong Kong). The total area of the eight-story building is 28 164 m². The Xiqu Center officially opened in January 2019 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] .
| Xiqu center | |
|---|---|
| 戲曲 中心 | |
 Main entrance | |
| Genres | Chinese opera |
| Theater building | |
| Location | China , Hong Kong |
| Address | West Austin Road, 88, Chimsachey District ( Yauchimwon County) |
| Underground | Austin ( West Line ) |
| Architect | Revery Architecture and Ronald Lu & Partners |
| Builder | Hip hip construction |
| Building | 2013 - 2018 |
| Open | 2019 |
| Capacity | 1,073 seats The Bolshoi Theater and 200 seats The Tea House Theater |
| Department | West Kowloon Cultural District Authority |
| Site | westkowloon.hk/tc/xiquce..... |
Xiqu Center is designed for theatrical productions, film screenings and the organization of exhibitions dedicated to the Cantonese Opera [6] [7] [8] .
In Hong Kong, the Xiqu Center has become the object of ridicule, since the appearance of its main entrance is similar to the female genitals , and the pronunciation of the name in Cantonese is consonant with the name of the vagina ( si chue ) [9] .
Geography
Xiqu Center is located at the crossroads of Austin Road and Canton Road, on the eastern edge of the West Kowloon Cultural District. In the north, the theater borders on the high-rise residential complex Grand Austin Towers, in the east - on the high-rise residential complex The Victoria Towers and Kowloon Park , in the south - on the office and retail complex China Hong Kong City .
In the immediate vicinity of the Xiqu Center are Austin, Kowloon, Jordan and Chimsachey metro stations, as well as the new West Kowloon Station. You can enter the Xiqu Center through any of the four corners of the building [10] [11] .
History
The competition for the creation of Xiqu Center was announced in March 2012. In December 2012, the joint project of a consortium of firms Revery Architecture (Canada) and Ronald Lu and Partners (Hong Kong) won. Construction was carried out from September 2013 to December 2018, the project budget amounted to $ 347 million. The main contractor for the construction was Hip Hing Construction (Hong Kong), BuroHappold Engineering and Atkins (Great Britain) were responsible for structural engineering. The building used ultra-modern technologies and solutions that allowed the use of natural ventilation and lighting, which significantly reduced energy consumption. The external coating and the shape of the curved facade make it possible to repel heat and save on air conditioning [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] .
Architecture and Structure
The exterior of the building mixed modern and traditional elements, in the form of Xiqu Center resembles a Chinese paper lantern. The main entrance is made in the form of an ajar theater curtain , behind which there is an extensive atrium with a round podium . It hosts various exhibitions and shows of small performances, you can relax or visit the shops. The atrium is designed to be accessible for natural lighting and the sea breeze. The eight-floor building houses the Bolshoi Theater with 1,073 seats (occupies the top floor), the elegant Theater of the Tea House with 200 seats (located on the ground floor), eight professional rehearsal studios (located on the second floor), a seminar and film screening hall with 108 seats , offices, restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. Soundproofing completely blocks noises from West Kowloon Station and Austin Metro Station, as well as the busy Austin Road and Canton Road, located next to the theater [17] [18] [19] [20] . All Xiqu Center facilities are accessible for people in a wheelchair and people with other disabilities [21] .
Gallery
north side
main entrance
atrium
lobby of the Bolshoi Theater
ground floor lobby
entrance to the Tea House Theater
Notes
- ↑ Xiqu Center . West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.
- ↑ Xiqu Center to raise curtain on arts hub . The Standard.
- ↑ Samuel Leong, Bo Wah Leung. Creative Arts in Education and Culture: Perspectives from Greater China. - Springer Science & Business Media, 2013 .-- P. 32. - ISBN 9789400777293 .
- ↑ Xiqu Center opens soon . China Daily.
- ↑ Xiqu Center to open its doors in January 2019 . Music Education Global.
- ↑ Xiqu Center . World Architects.
- ↑ Xiqu Center . Architizer
- ↑ Margaret S. Barrett. Collaborative Creative Thought and Practice in Music. Ashgate Publishing, 2014 .-- P. 132. - ISBN 9781472415844 .
- ↑ Hong Kong Chinese opera center looks like woman's private parts, as well as its name sounding like word for them in Cantonese . South China Morning Post.
- ↑ Xiqu Center . West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.
- ↑ Visit . West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.
- ↑ Winning Design . West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.
- ↑ Sustainability . West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.
- ↑ Xiqu Center . Revery Architecture.
- ↑ Xiqu Center . Design build network.
- ↑ Atkins on winning team to design the landmark Xiqu Center . Atkins.
- ↑ Witold Rybczynski. Mysteries of the Mall: And Other Essays. - Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2015 .-- P. 280—281. - ISBN 9781429953245 .
- ↑ Xiqu Center . West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.
- ↑ Facilities . West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.
- ↑ Xiqu Center . BuroHappold Engineering.
- ↑ Accessibility West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.