XIQU CENTRE
binaural microphones. “We needed source
material that was almost anechoic, or super dry,”
says Essert. “Normally, we have recorded tracks
that we can use, but they wouldn’t work for this
project, so we created new sound models that fed
into our commentary on the direction of the
architectural development. The models allowed
us to test how the reflection and absorption
operated in the thousands of sound paths
between every source and every listener.”
Subtle arts
In addition to the acoustic concerns, Kokalov
had to be careful to create a sense of intimacy
between audience and performers. An art form
that has developed in public spaces with small
casts conveying emotion through subtle gestures
does not necessarily translate well to a theater
with 1,073 seats. “We made it more intimate by
creating a lot of boxes that bring the audience
much closer to the stage,” he says. “It feels like
there are 600 people rather than 1,000. We also
placed the seats at the front so the audience has
the best view of the gestures and costumes.”
The project took six years to complete after
Revery Architecture and Ronald Lu bid won
the international design competition in 2013.
The official opening came on January 20, 2019,
with a performance under the direction of the
legendary 93-year-old diva Pak Suet-sin.
West Kowloon Authority chairman Henry
Tang Ying-yen has said he wants the Xiqu Centre
to help to re-energize Chinese opera. Only 40 of
the recognized canon of 367 pieces are regularly
performed, but Ying-yen’s goal is to see them all
produced at the new venue.
“There are plenty of big theaters all over China
focused on this art form, but they’re not nearly as
sophisticated as the Xiqu Centre, which I believe
is unique in its view of the past, present and
future,” says Essert. n
“The scalloping creates a natural acoustic that
suits the voices in Chinese opera,” says Essert.
“Without texture, there would be too much of
a focused echo coming back to the seats in the
audience. It would be late and too loud, divorcing
the sounds from the actors’ voices. We wanted
a range of sounds in a scattered, rather than a
specular way, so it’s not reflected like a mirror,
but arrives with a smooth and short decay.”
The ceiling plays an important role in the
acoustic patterns, too. The fact that the room is
compact and the ceilings are low helps to achieve
the dry acoustic. But Essert also made some areas
sound-reflecting and others sound-absorbing,
which he would not have done for a Western
opera house. One reason for this is that the
singers’ vocal production is not as powerful as
in Western opera, because the sounds come from
the throat rather than from the gut. Another
factor is that the music from the orchestra in
the pit is very loud.
“We worked with areas of the room to give
a preferential boost to the singers’ sound and
preferential pulling back to the loudness of the
orchestra,” says Essert.
Model behavior
Sound Space Vision’s acoustic advice for the
architects was informed by highly sophisticated
models created with artists and computer
technicians in both live and studio settings using
THE WEST
KOWLOON
CULTURAL
DISTRICT
Following the muchanticipated
opening
of a high-speed train
station, the Xiqu
Centre is the first
major venue to open
as part of the West
Kowloon Cultural
District. The cultural
quarter occupies
40 hectares of
reclaimed harborfront
land in Hong
Kong. The new
district has been
in development
for more than a
decade, following
a masterplan by
Foster and Partners.
Other planned
developments
include the M+
Museum for 20th and
21st century visual
arts; the Lyric Theatre
Complex, which will
have three theaters
seating 1,450, 600
and 270; and
Freespace, with
performance areas
including a black box
theater for audiences
of 450 seated or 900
standing people.
AUDITORIA 2019 VOLUME ONE 11