ZDA’s competition proposal, submitted in 2020, interprets the Shenzhen Opera House as a generous cultural gateway opening towards the sea. The design explored the possibility of an iconic public building that connects simultaneously to Shenzhen’s dynamic urban character, the openness of its waterfront setting and the passionate, intense world of opera.

The central image of the concept is that of a living ancient tree standing on a rocky cliff. The building’s vertical organisation is structured through the allegory of roots, trunk and canopy: service areas, public circulation zones and artistic spaces are conceived as interrelated layers built upon one another. This idea provides both a powerful architectural image and a clear operational logic for the complex institution.

One of the fundamental questions of the design was how to resolve the tension between the opera house’s monumental urban role and the intimate, personal experience of the performing arts. ZDA’s response was a system of building parts that function independently yet are organised around a shared cultural public square. Rising above the sea, this sheltered space could serve visitors as a meeting place, an urban belvedere and an open-air amphitheatre.

The performance halls combine the tradition of 19th-century acoustic spaces with the possibilities of contemporary stage technology. The four auditoria — the 2,100-seat Opera Hall, the 1,800-seat Concert Hall, the 800-seat Operetta Hall and the 640-seat Chamber Hall — were designed not for a single genre only, but for a wide range of uses. Through adaptable acoustic and stage-technical systems, the building offers a contemporary and human-scaled framework for both classical performing arts and new genres.