The Harbin Opera House is the first and largest building that MAD has designed as part of Harbin Cultural Island, a major new arts complex among the wetlands of the Songhua River.

The 79,000-square-metre building 

features a three-petalled plan. One

houses a grand theatre with space for up to 1,600 visitors, while the other is a more intimate performance space for an audience of 400.

The building is designed to mirror the sinuous curves of the marsh landscape, with an exterior of smooth white aluminium panels and glass.