Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera
Architects
Jean-François Milou, principal architect
Trung Thanh Nguyen, project manager
Phuong Nguyen, project team member
Hieu Luong, project team member
Lam Nguyen, project team member
Toan Le, project team member
Dung Le, project team member
Carleen Lee, project team member
Client
HCMC people committee
Area
40,850 m2
Budget
65,000,000 USD
Consultancy Service scope
Concept design
Bidding mode
Competition
Contract period
on-going
Implementation
on-going
Under the filtered light of a spectacular veil, suspended over the Ho Chi Minh Opera House Complex, the iconic contemporary design is inspired by forms that resonate Vietnamese culture and values, and Saigon River movements.
Complementing the adjacent suspended bridge, the HCMC Opera House will create first and foremost a cultural icon and destination for the people of Ho Chi Minh City, combining a programme of world class performing arts and offering a new public space for local communities and international visitors alike to enjoy an open piazza for outdoor concerts, and access to lively cafes and restaurants within a spectacular riverfront atmosphere.
The HCMC Theatre will seamlessly integrate under one roof wide-ranging cultural and civic activities that mark dynamic and international urban environments; world class performances, festivals, educative and community outreach programmes, red carpet events, unique dining experiences, and more. The design addresses both the public entering the HCMC Theatre, and optimizes the site’s exterior potential. Visitors and those passing by will enjoy the artistic productions projected on the outdoor veil facing the park, outdoor cafes, and beautiful promenades along the river front.
The HCMC Opera House will become a major landmark along the Ho Chi Minh River, creating a clear, visual and complementary relationship with the new bridge. In this way, the Opera House, together with the bridge and river, will constitute an iconic image for HCM City as a national and international destination, for local, national and international visitors alike.
At the end of the public park along the river, the Opera House will be composed within a large esplanade, which opens onto HCM City. The flow of the public along the parkway will culminate with the spectacular urban landscape composed of the HCMC Opera House and bridge. This Esplanade will host a generous outdoor auditorium,landscaped with a stunning set of fountains and paving designs which complement the golden hues of the Opera House, and create a harmonious visual relationship with the river.
a monumental changing water feature
an outdoor venue catering for over 2000 visitors
live performances open to all in the outdoor gardens
access to the suspended garden nestled on the Opera House rooftop
A presentation film of the project.
The foyer will be an animated and engaging areas, where visitors enjoy the expectation of events soon to commence, waiting for the arrival of friends, and socializing. The foyer will be an important welcoming area and social space in itself, with the possibility of becoming a venue for specific civic or artistic meetings and gatherings.
The main foyer space with its informal performance amphitheatre acts as a central public gathering area. The expansion of space within the foyer provides the opportunity for creative collisions for artists and the community to be inspired by the architecture, river and city.
the staircase to the foyer
From the orchestra seating, all levels of the public spaces in the opera will be visible, with two levels of balconies, the VIP loges and the ceiling… The view to the stage has been perfectly controlled to ensure all spectators have full view of the stage and its sets. The acoustics will express the beauty of the theatre’s volume and have been calculated to ensure a balance of softness and largesse.
Sightlines and room shaping considers not only a varied range of performance experience, but a space that is visually enveloping, allowing audiences to feel that they are sharing the same room with others. The varied stepping on the main floor intentionally creates an increased sense of intimacy and informality while acoustically helping to ensure a high impact performance experience throughout the main floor.
At the heart of the facility is a 1200 seat concert theatre offering a sophisticated environment for ballet and dance, opera, musicals and orchestral music performance in a dynamic, contemporary environment.
The theatre has been designed with performance experience (both audience and artists) in mind. The design builds on globally recognised and acclaimed theatres around the world, including Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, in New York, the Lyric Theatre, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in Singapore, and Sang Nam Hall at the LG Arts Center in Seoul, South Korea.
View at the concert theatre
Sectional perspective
Program diagram
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The StudioMilou team