Focus on the detail of the design of the Qingdao Grand Theater in China. The Grand Theater Qingdao lies in the Laoshan district of the harbour city at a newly created park that stretches from the sea to the foot of the Laoshan mountains. The objective of the design was to translate the landscape and the elements into the language of architecture, creating a unique ensemble in harmony with the genius loci, or spirit, of the place. The building rises up out of the landscape like a mountain massif, while a 'floating' cloud-like roof surrounds it. This publication shows the significance of this 'stage of urban life' in the historical context of China's opera and concert houses. Texts by the architecture critic Christian Brensing and photos by the architecture photographer Christian Gahl present the building in detail. Text in English and German.

The architects behind the new cultural park, Tianjin Grand Theater, offer an insight into their design process. A new culture park has been created in recent years in the Chinese harbour city of Tianjin. The Tianjin Grand Theater occupies a key position on this site, entering into a dialogue with its architectural surroundings. The circular form of the roof construction relates to that of the Natural History Museum there in such a way that it creates a connection between the earthbound museum and the seemingly floating theatre building. In this volume, the architects responsible illuminate the Grand Theater by means of texts and images, and show how syntheses can be created between western and eastern traditions in a highly modern building. The architecture critic Jurgen Tietz discusses the building in a detailed critique. Text in English and German.