par
Shanghai opens its Grand Opera House with a public rooftop overlooking the Huangpu River
The Shanghai Grand Opera House, designed by Norwegian architecture practice Snøhetta in collaboration with Chinese and international specialists, officially opened on 17 October 2026. Located along the Huangpu River, the cultural landmark combines performance venues, public spaces and an accessible rooftop, exploring how a major artistic institution can become part of everyday urban life
Shanghai Opera at night. Photo by Tian Fangfang, via whlyj.sh.gov.cn
In Shanghai, a large-scale cultural development is introducing a different relationship between performing arts, architecture and the city’s waterfront.
Designed by Snøhetta in collaboration with East China Architectural Design & Research Institute (ECADI), Theatre Projects and Nagata Acoustics, the Shanghai Grand Opera House occupies approximately 146,786 square metres within the Expo Culture Park in Pudong.
The building was developed following an international architectural competition, with the design team commissioned in 2019. Its completion marks an important stage in the transformation of the former World Expo area into a cultural and recreational destination.
One of the project’s most distinctive architectural features is its sweeping white roof, inspired by the movement of a traditional Chinese folding fan.
The roof extends into a sculptural spiral staircase that connects the surrounding park with an elevated public terrace overlooking the Huangpu River.
Rather than restricting access to ticket holders, the architects conceived the rooftop as a publicly accessible landscape, allowing residents and visitors to experience the building independently of its performances.
The Red Hall, with a capacity of 2000 people. Photo by Dong Tianye, via whlyj.sh.gov.cn
By extending the public realm across the roof, the project challenges the traditional separation between monumental cultural institutions and the everyday life of the city.
Inside, the opera house accommodates three performance venues with a combined capacity of 4,200 seats.
The 2,000-seat Harmony Hall is designed for opera, orchestral concerts and large-scale theatrical productions, while the 1,200-seat Soar Theatre supports smaller performances and experimental programmes. A third venue, the 1,000-seat Open Stage, provides additional flexibility for different artistic formats.
The interiors combine advanced stage technology and acoustic systems with architectural details that reference traditional performance spaces. Red finishes contrast with the predominantly white exterior, establishing a visual connection with the colours associated with Chinese theatre.
Beyond the auditoriums, the building incorporates exhibition areas, restaurants, rehearsal facilities and spaces dedicated to arts education.
These additional programmes are intended to encourage visitors to engage with the institution beyond scheduled performances, supporting its role as a cultural meeting place.
The inaugural season, running from October 2026 through February 2027, includes 47 productions and 82 performances, alongside more than 100 educational activities.
The double helix staircase of the Shanghai Opera House. Photo by Dong Tianye, via whlyj.sh.gov.cn
The programme brings together Chinese and international artists, with opera, dance, orchestral music and contemporary productions contributing to Shanghai’s ambitions as a major international centre for performing arts.
The project also reflects the growing importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in major cultural developments. Its architectural, landscape, theatrical and acoustic design involved specialist teams working across different countries and professional disciplines.
For architectural practices, the building offers a reference for integrating public accessibility, landscape design and complex performance infrastructure within a single development.
Shanghai Grand Opera House demonstrates how investment in cultural architecture can extend beyond the creation of performance facilities, contributing to public space, urban connectivity and opportunities for cultural participation.
Its significance lies not only in the scale of its auditoriums, but in the ambition to make architecture and cultural experiences accessible to people who may never attend a performance.
Further Information
Snøhetta – Shanghai Grand Opera House opening
ArchDaily – Shanghai Grand Opera House opens with a sweeping roof and river views
English 
Spanish 
Portuguese 
French 
German 
Italian 
Japanese 
Arabic 
Chinese