National Centre for the Performing Arts

The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) (国家大剧院 or Guójiā dà jùyuàn in Chinese) is located south of the Forbidden City next to Tiananmen square. It's an ellipsoid of glass and titanium, which is surrounded by an artificial pond. Based on a design by the French architect Paul Andrew, it was completed in September 2007 after five years of construction. The central dome structure measures 212m x 144m and is 46m high.
The access to the central dome is from the north (an entrance ticket needs to be purchased) and goes through a passage below the pond. Inside the dome there are a number of performance halls: the opera house with 2398 seats, the concert hall with 2019 seats, the theatre with 1035 seats and a multi-functional theatre with 556 seats. Between the various halls there are public spaces which together are known as "The Fifth Space": the Underwater Corridor, the Olive Hall, the Grand Foyer, exhibition halls as well as roof terrace area. Overall the interior is very photogenic.