Work on the Shanghai Grand Opera House, which is destined to become a new cultural landmark for the city and Asia’s top-class opera house, began on Wednesday. The building in Pudong’s Houtan area of the Expo site near the Huangpu River will have three performance halls of various capacities, 10 rehearsal halls, 54 rehearsal rooms, as well as exhibition and educational spaces. The 2,000-seat main auditorium will have state-of-the-art technology and superior acoustics. A 1,200-seat second hall will offer a more intimate setting for smaller productions. A 1,000-seat third hall offers a flexible stage and seating arrangement, providing space for more experimental and unique performances. The project will take four to five years to complete. The design and construction team is formed by Shanghai-based East China Architectural Design and Research Institute, Norway’s Snohetta architecture and design company, Nagata Acoustics and Britain’s Theatre Projects Consultants. The complex will have a total floor area of 146,388 square meters – 75,204 on the ground and 70,774 underground plus a 360 square-meter tunnel. Designed to bring artists and the public under one roof, the sweeping form of the opera house embodies the concept of movement, according to the construction office. The helical roof surface evokes an unfolding fan, capturing the dynamism of dance and the human body, it said. The radial movements of the roof form a spiral staircase that connects ground and sky. The spiraling, fanning motions extend throughout the project, into the lobby and the three performing halls. The opera house’s roof will become an accessible stage and meeting place, suitable for both large-scale events and everyday visitors. Its white exterior will stand in contrast to the soft silk used for the interior. Opera enjoys a prestigious status among all art forms. Quality productions and outstanding venues have become important criteria to estimate the artistic level of a city or country. Shanghai has set a goal of becoming an Asian capital for the performing arts. Compared with other cities such as London, New York, Paris and Tokyo, it has lacked an industry-leading professional opera house. Some 650 performances are expected to be staged at the venue in its first year, rising to 750 in the first five years. The performances will mainly fall into three categories: original Chinese opera, operas produced by domestic or overseas opera houses, and imported highly rated operas. Symphonic choirs and popular bel canto will also feature. Shanghai Grand Opera House also aims at becoming an influential power in opera creation and production.