Dubai Opera House
Encyclopedia
The Dubai Opera House is the cultural centre of the proposed Lagoons
district of Dubai
, United Arab Emirates
with preparatory work underway in anticipation of groundbreaking
. This development will accommodate an opera house with a 2,500 seating capacity, an 800-seat playhouse, a 5000 square metres (53,819.6 sq ft) arts gallery, a performing arts school, and a '6-star' themed hotel on a purpose-built island in Dubai Creek
. It is also said that it will feature two libraries, an outdoor theatre, and a marina.
and her design team, in collaboration with Patrik Schumacher won the competition for the opera house with their design, beating off competition from, amongst others, architects Norman Foster and Jean Nouvel . Hadid's team describe the project as:
Floating above this foyer are further foyer spaces serving the balcony levels. The foyer levels from the main foyer level up are visually connected to each other through a series of voids. This allows for direct views between the main foyer at the first floor all the way up to the highest balcony foyer.
The auditoria are contained in flowing shapes that seem to emerge from the underside of the main shell. This inner shell however, does not quite touch the main shell. Instead, the two surfaces disappear into a light gap between them. Supporting functions found off the foyer are defined by walls that merge into the underside of the main shell. The interiors of the project continue the same calm design with white surfaces and smoothly curving edges.
The Lagoons
The Lagoons is a real-estate development that is under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and is situated along Dubai Creek, near Ras Al Khor Road.-Purpose:...
district of Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
with preparatory work underway in anticipation of groundbreaking
Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are often attended by dignitaries such as politicians and...
. This development will accommodate an opera house with a 2,500 seating capacity, an 800-seat playhouse, a 5000 square metres (53,819.6 sq ft) arts gallery, a performing arts school, and a '6-star' themed hotel on a purpose-built island in Dubai Creek
Dubai Creek
Dubai Creek or Khor Dubai is a saltwater creek located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates . It ends at Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. Some sources say that the creek extended as far inland as Al Ain, and that the Ancient Greeks called it River Zara. Historically, the creek divided the city into two...
. It is also said that it will feature two libraries, an outdoor theatre, and a marina.
Competition
Zaha HadidZaha Hadid
Zaha Hadid, CBE is an Iraqi-British architect.-Life and career:Hadid was born in 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq. She received a degree in mathematics from the American University of Beirut before moving to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London.After graduating she worked...
and her design team, in collaboration with Patrik Schumacher won the competition for the opera house with their design, beating off competition from, amongst others, architects Norman Foster and Jean Nouvel . Hadid's team describe the project as:
"The proposal houses all of the facilities within a single striking structure. The gentle winding form evokes images of mountains or sand dunes. Rising out of the ground, this form is both a part of the landscape yet very much a distinct element in the skyline. The surrounding landscape forms build up to the main building."
Physical Attributes
The two peaks correspond to the opera house and the playhouse. The tall requirements of the fly towers are nested under these peaks. From these peaks, the form gradually swoops down to touch the earth. The form is scalloped away where the three major entrances are to be found. The main entrances for audiences visiting either of the two performing arts auditoria are on the north side of the building. At the ground level will be the VIP entrance with car drop off right at the entrance and a separate foyer from the main foyer. This foyer serves both the opera house and the playhouse. The main foyer is a gentle multi-tiered landscape at one floor above the ground floor. It also serves the opera house and the playhouse, as well as having an interior connection to the arts gallery.Floating above this foyer are further foyer spaces serving the balcony levels. The foyer levels from the main foyer level up are visually connected to each other through a series of voids. This allows for direct views between the main foyer at the first floor all the way up to the highest balcony foyer.
The auditoria are contained in flowing shapes that seem to emerge from the underside of the main shell. This inner shell however, does not quite touch the main shell. Instead, the two surfaces disappear into a light gap between them. Supporting functions found off the foyer are defined by walls that merge into the underside of the main shell. The interiors of the project continue the same calm design with white surfaces and smoothly curving edges.