Client
Nikken Sekkei Ltd, Japan
Location
Beijing
Completion date
2006
Located in the heart of the Beijing central business district, Beijing Television Centre is a sophisticated television broadcast headquarters. As part of a redevelopment prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympic games, the broadcast centre's facilities were expanded to include a 1,400 seat theatre designed by Nikken Sekkei Architects of Japan, in conjunction with the Department of Radio, Film and TV Design (DRFT) and Beijing Television.
The theatre is a conventional show theatre incorporating audience seating on two levels and a cruciform back-of-house area equipped with a revolving stage. While operating principally as a theatre for live performance broadcasts, the acoustic brief required versatility to enable use of the venue for occasional symphonic concerts and recitals.
Our Brief
Marshall Day Acoustics provided acoustic design solutions and addressed difficult architectural features within the venue, notably the acoustic characteristics introduced due to the cruciform back-of-house volume being significantly greater than the auditorium. The inclusion of an orchestral shell and VIP seating added to the complexity of the acoustic design for shows, live theatre and concert performances.
The theatre can operate in two modes with variable acoustics, which combined with optimum placement of lateral reflectors, provides a high quality acoustic environment for a range of performance styles.
A Project of Significance
Beijing Television Center Theatre is one of the first theatres to be designed with western architects and acoustic designers and represents a leap in Chinese interior design with its glass enclosed outer shell providing a stunning entrance to the television headquarters.
