Work is well underway on Hanoi’s new opera house, a US$480 million project on the city’s West Lake.
The Hanoi Opera House, which appears to float over the lake, will include two main auditoriums and a multi-purpose hall suitable for concerts, live shows and large-scale events.
Other spaces include rehearsal rooms, a museum and viewing terraces. The completion date is set for 2027.
Also known as the Pearl Opera House, the building is designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, one of the world’s most influential architects.
The building’s distinctive feature is its dome structure, coated with a mother-of-pearl-like material to reflect the ripples of water on the lake. It will be surrounded by green spaces and lotus ponds.
Hanoi’s current Opera House closed on 31 December last year for a two-year renovation. Opened in 1911, the Hanoi Opera House is one of Asia’s architectural gems, its Gothic pillars and domes inspired by Paris’s Opera Garnier.