The Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay :

                              Esplanade - Theaters on the Bay is one of the world's busiest arts centers, officially opened on 12 October 2002. This architectural icon with its distinctive twin shells, is sited within Singapore's civic district, just by Marina Bay at the mouth of the Singapore River. Esplanade aims to be a performing arts center for everyone, and its programs cater to its diverse audiences. Its program line-up spans all genres to encompass music, dance, theater and visual arts, with a special emphasis on Asian culture. Esplanade houses world-class performance spaces, supported by a comprehensive range of professional support facilities and services. Its two main venues are the 1,600-seat Concert Hall, with acoustics by Russell Johnson of ARTEC Consultants, and the 2,000-seat theater, an adaptation of traditional European opera houses in horseshoe form.

Man made marvel:

                         The Esplanade's 2,000 seat Theater is a form of an adaptation of the horseshoe form of a traditional European opera house. Spread out over four levels, it is designed for all genres of the performing arts, including but not limited to Asian and Western arts, Musicals and plays, classical, traditional and contemporary forms and advanced multimedia performances, whether they are large scale, or intimate in size.Although the theater is considered large with 2000 seats, the viewing distance between the furthest seat and the stage is just 40m, thus allowing patrons a clear view of what's going on on stage.There are only five other halls in the world with such state-of-the-art acoustics.

 The design:

 

                            The building was designed by two architectural firms working in conjunction: by DP Architects (DPA) of Singapore and the London-based Michael Wilford & Partners (MWP), although the later left the project in May 1995.The original design, presented to the public in 1994, consisted of unadorned glass cases over the theaters, and initially elicited criticisms from the public, including calling it "two copulating aardvarks". Critics also accused that the design is insensitive to Singapore's location and climate as it would have created a greenhouse in the tropical climate of Singapore, but according to DPA director Vikas Gore some form of shading was always intended[3], and a cladding of aluminum sunshades was added to the final design.The unique architectural design has been said to have an appearance similar to either a durian (a tropical fruit) or the eyes of a fly. Many Singaporeans casually refer to the Esplanade as "The Durian".

Facilities:

                              The Esplanade contains world-class performing spaces, coupled with a wide range of professional support services and facilities. Other than performing venues, the Esplanade also contains meeting venues, as well as other lifestyle and arts related services. The main highlights of the Esplanade - the concert hall and Theater, are connected to the main concourse via a foyer, while the Esplanade Mall is accessible through an entry point located between these 2 halls.

Concert Hall:

 

                            The Concert Hall is able to comfortably seat 1,600 people over four levels in an intimate setting. Types of seats include Stalls, Foyer stalls, and Circles 1, 2, and 3. There are another 200 seats in the choir stalls behind the concert hall stage, which may be converted into Gallery seats for an additional 200 people. There are also four exclusive VIP Private Boxes, which provide a close-up view of the performances.

Recital Studio

 

                       The fan-shaped Recital Studio is able to contain 250 people and is a good venue for small scale and intimate chamber musical performances, as well as presentations and meetings. In addition to its timbre flooring, the studio's wall and ceiling finishes are designed in order to ensure good acoustics. The Studio is also commonly used as a rehearsal space for orchestras and choirs.

Theater Studio:

                      The Theater Studio, with a capacity of 220, is a small setting for experimental theater and dance presentations. The performance space, equipped with movable and retractable seating, offers a wide variety of configurations . Although small, it is equipped with adaptable staging, lighting and sound systems, therefore enabling it to accommodate different kinds of performances. As it is approximately the same size as the Theater stage, the Theater Studio is also commonly used for full production rehearsals.

Outdoor Venues:

                        The Esplanade features two outdoor performing venues. They are the Waterfront Stage and the Stage@Powerhouse, located along the promenade. These venues stage regular free performances, meant to liven up the arts scene. Other than that, the building also features a large roof terrace with a panoramic view of Marina Bay and the city area. There are also courtyards and open spaces which can be used for various activities.