Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Centre

Located in Dongguan within the Greater Bay Area of southern China’s Pearl River estuary, the new Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Centre is designed to serve as a civic and cultural anchor at the heart of a mixed-use masterplan to revitalize the Yuehe Lake waterfront. Honouring a birthplace of Cantonese Opera, an artform dating back over 700 years to the Song Dynasty, the flowing forms of its traditional costumes have inspired the centre’s design.

Evoking the unique silk ‘water sleeves’ (the white extensions of robes worn by performers of Cantonese Opera who convey emotion with their animated gestures) the centre’s design incorporates multiple distinct structures that crescendo and flare, rising at its western edge to frame the main theatre and exhibition space. Facilitating fluid transitions across multiple levels of SSLEPC’s interior and exterior, the design opens to its sheltered public plaza, garden terraces and waterfront promenade on Songshan Lake for local residents and visitors to enjoy year-round.

The 1,200-seat Grand Theatre, along with the Exhibition Hall, is designed to host large-scale productions by local, national and international performers, in addition to conferences, industry forums, art exhibitions and sporting competitions. The 400-seat Multifunction Hall will host smaller theatrical productions and children’s.

Photo credits: Virgile Simon Bertrand