Wuxi Grand Theatre

PES-Architects have chosen Kvadrat textiles for the seating in both auditoriums at the Wuxi Grand Theatre, which is the first culturally focused building in Taihu New City in Wuxi, China. The 78,000 square metre Grand Theatre contains the 1680-seat Main Theatre Auditorium, the 690-seat Comprehensive Performance Hall, and a T-shaped open foyer, which sits beneath a partly glass covered roof. Through this, the giant leaf-like wings that cover the auditoriums can be seen. These contain thousands of LED lights, which create spectacular colours that can be changed to reflect the character of the performances held in the building. The 1680-seat theatre combines light, natural tones and black shades. Its ceiling is adorned with a special reflector that is clad in gold-leaf, which features a wave-like motif of a Chinese opera mask. This helps to give the space an air of festivity. In contrast, the smaller, multifunctional auditorium has a darker, more technical appearance.

Remix is used for the seating for both auditoriums. In total, 1725 metres were used for the Main Theatre Auditorium and 920 metres were used for the Comprehensive Performance Hall.

“We chose Kvadrat based on the company’s reputation as a high-quality and reliable Scandinavian collaborator. Kvadrat was always very responsive and helpful, and there was never any delay in receiving new samples of upholstery, when alternative solutions were needed. Plus, their versatile selection of refined colours and materials fulfilled all our wishes. Design of the main auditorium was an especially demanding and a long-lasting process, because it was based on comprehensive use of the new technological bamboo material. Kvadrat met our need for an upholstery textile that complemented the unique and intimate atmosphere of the opera hall. In the smaller auditorium, the colour of the Kvadrat textiles created an elegant contrast with the nearly black walls and balances with the bamboo material of the balcony,” Pekka Salminen, Professor and President of PES-Architects.