- Date: April 22, 2016
- Venue: Asia Society Hong Kong Center
- Address: 9 Justice Drive, Admiralty, Hong Kong
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Pritzker-winning architect Toyo Ito (伊東豊雄) returned to Hong Kong to discuss his latest architectural achievement — the National Taichung Theater (臺中國家歌劇院) — in a special showcase co-organized by the Asia Society Hong Kong Center and the Kwang Hwa Information and Culture Centre.
Slated to open to the public this October, the National Taichung Theater boasts the world's first beamless structure complete with irregular curved walls. The architectural feat earned praise from media commentators such as Reuters, who dubbed it "the world's ninth new landmark.”
Ito's unique vision, which set him apart from 32 other architectural firms that participated in the 2005 international design competition organized by Taichung City, was based on creating a "sound cave” with tubular voids and hourglass-shaped cutouts.
"The National Taichung Theater is not just a building that houses the opera. The entire architecture itself is an opera,” noted Ito. "One can feel the flow of air, sound, and light not only in the foyer, but within the restaurant, sky garden, and everywhere else in the building. One feels overwhelmed by the grandeur of a cosmic brilliance coming out of the architecture.”