PREVIEW

Shanghai's Spectacular Grand Opera House Nears Completion. Architecture studio Snøhetta's breathtaking Shanghai Grand Opera House is nearing completion. The landmark structure, located in the city's Expo Houtan district, features a distinctive sculptural spiral staircase that ascends to the top of its accessible rooftop. Resembling a vast unfolding fan, the building has been designed in collaboration with Chinese architecture firm ECADI to capture the fluidity of movement, drawing inspiration from dance. The design echoes Snøhetta's acclaimed 2007 Oslo Opera House, with a roof that visitors will be able to walk upon when the venue opens later this year. It features a striking spiral staircase that appears to emerge from a sloping plaza near the banks of the Huangpu River. The staircase gradually winds upwards, blending seamlessly into the rooftop's stepped geometry. The opera house is set to include three distinct performance spaces housing 2,000, 1,200, and 1,000 guests respectively. As construction enters its final stages, the Shanghai Grand Opera House is poised to become one of the city's most significant cultural landmarks.