For their Photographers in Focus series, NOWNESS have followed renowned Dutch architectural photographer Iwan Baan as he documents MAD Architects‘ Harbin Opera House in China, completed in 2015, during the region’s extremely cold winter period, when temperatures range between -15 Celsius degrees during the day and as low as -30 during the night.
Embedded within Harbin’s wetlands, the Harbin Opera House was designed in response to the force and spirit of the northern city’s untamed wilderness and frigid climate. Appearing as if sculpted by wind and water, the building seamlessly blends in with nature and the topography—a transfusion of local identity, art, and culture. “We envision Harbin Opera House as a cultural center of the future – a tremendous performance venue, as well as a dramatic public space that embodies the integration of human, art and the city identity, while synergistically blending with the surrounding nature,” said Ma Yansong, founding principal, MAD Architects.
Images © Iwan Baan via MAD Architects
Video © NOWNESS – Directed by Rasmus Daniel Taun
