Mapping illustrations on the complex twisting facade of Sunac Guangzhou Grand Theatre
Steven Chilton Architects designs the ‘Sunac Guangzhou Grand Theatre’ inspired by local traditional and contemporary artists. The concept is influenced by silk embroidery illustration by the artist Zhang Hongfei. The London based practice SCA | Steven Chilton Architects is a group of highly skilled practitioners connecting cultural insight and creative use of technology to achieve unexpected architecture that seeks to embrace, captivate and surprise.
The cladding surface is characterized by imagery that reflects the mission of the theatre to cultivate artistic talents. The exterior form takes inspiration from the physical shape of silk cloth folds and is expressed through a series of ten twisting folds that define the outer skin of the building. The entrances are located where the folds would touch the ground and are covered by overhanging the facade. The cladding is made of perforated aluminium panels, painted taking inspiration from the hand drawn illustrations created by the artist. In order to be able to accurately represent the illustrations on the facade, the team at Steven Chilton Architects developed a process of digitisation and mapping of each figure on the facade geometry, respecting the topology of the base surface. The substructure of the facade is composed of a structure of welded steel tubes, independent from the primary concrete structure of the floor slabs.
The theatre interiors host a main auditorium, where immersive and transformable performances take place. The experience for the audience is 360, including stages at different heights and a central deep pool to create a flexible space for spectacular effects.
The theatre is scheduled to open in 2021.
