A render of the Art Theater at Shishan Cultural Plaza [Photo from WeChat account: snd-szgxqfb]
Construction started on the Art Theater, one of the three major establishments of the Shishan Cultural Plaza, echoing Suzhou Museum's west pavilion and the Suzhou Science and Technology Museum, on June 23.
From a distance, the museum resembles multiple mountains rising one higher than the other, perfectly complementing the nearby Shishan Mountain and Tianshi Lake. The museum was designed by Kazuyo Sejima, a Japanese architect known for designs featuring clean modernist elements.
Located to the south of Jinshan Rd and west of Changjiang Rd in Suzhou New District, the theater is 40.48 meters high and measures about 41,428 sq m. The main hall, featuring a stage and two wing spaces, can seat 1,280 spectators at once and will offer symphonies, operas, dances, musicals and modern dramas. The multi-functional hall is able to hold 500 spectators for smaller-scale experimental dramas, operas and pop concerts.
The theater carries a price tag of 941 million yuan ($133 million) and will be easily accessible by local residents through a pedestrian underpass connecting metro lines 1 and 3 at Shishan Mountain station.
