WEEK 01ARCHITECTURAL DISCOURSE

&

Zaha Hadid - Guangzhou Opera houseThe state of the art opera house was designed and constructed over 8 years (2003-2010) reflects Hadids love of contemporay yet simultaneously naturalistic form. The form resembles two large boulders and an inviting promenade has been sculpted from the landscape, beginning from the opposite side of the central boulevard and winding towards the entrance of the opera house. 1

SIG

NIF

ICAN

CE

RELV

ANCE

The architectural significance of Hadid’s structure is highlighted through its form, and the design intent behind the structure. Hadids building evolved through taking inspiration from the natural world (a contrast from Chinas concrete jungle). The idea arose from the concept of a natural landscape and the relationship between architecture and nature. The key ideas for Hadids inspiration were the principles of erosion, geol-ogy & topography. 2The inspiration behind the Unique Opera house pro-vides a relationship between the precedent and the EOI proposal. It is important that the Gateway take inspira-tion from the surrounding landscape and topography. I think this idea of responding to the natural environ-ment will provide a strong response to the design brief. Zahas inspiration is abstract and not obvious to those who don’t look to find a deeper meaning which is a strong concept for the design of the gateway project.

The opera house is located at the centre of Guangzhou’s cultural district. The twin bolder form works in harmony with the sour-ounding city, the structure opens the adjacent buildings up to the Pearl River and creates an inter-esting contrast from the formal-ity of the sky-scrapers surround-ing the naturalistic structure.

“the installation need not be literal or didactic in its refrences, as it may capture a more abstract, aspira-tional intent or feeling” - design brief

architecture and visual culture...“the term architecture applies only to buildings designed with a view to aesthetic appeal”The week 01 Richard Williams reading highlights a strong realm of the architecture industry which is treating the profession as a form of Visual Communication. Hadids buildings are very much works of art with the apparant design intents and attention to ‘aesthetic appeal’. The interesting relationship in this precedent is how Hadid has created art, for art and how the building responds to the intended purpose of the performing arts. The natural form of the building reflects the grace of Opera and expresses the purpose and art that will be carried out in the structure.