Local design studio Neri&Hu has completed the beautiful New Bund Performing Arts Centre located in Shanghai. The inspiration behind the design nods to the city’s historic alleyways which are defined by rows of arches and barrel vaults. The space is comprised of a large theater seating 2,500 guests and a multipurpose black-box. It also has a bar, restaurant, and lounges.
Neri&Hu explain the process to Dezeen, “In such a new context, we believed it was important to root the project in the cultural context of Shanghai’s urban history and its connection to theatre. Shanghai’s density and the urban fabric of its lilongs resulted in an urban novelty, where the domestic bedroom spaces with windows and balconies often overlook internal streets, creating a unique cinematic intersection of public and private space. The concept for the performing arts centre was to bring part of the spirit of the traditional alleyways into the pre-function and arrival atrium spaces.”
Image Credit: Pedro Pegenaute