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.