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East China Architectural Design & Research Institute: The Latest Architecture and News

Snøhetta's Shanghai Grand Opera House Nears Completion Ahead of October Opening

Snøhetta's Shanghai Grand Opera House has entered its final construction phase. Preparations are underway for the building's official opening on October 17, 2026, kicking off a performance season featuring 82 performances across 47 acclaimed productions. Snøhetta's spiralling design for the new cultural venue was selected via an international competition in 2016. In 2019, the architecture firm, along with East China Architectural Design & Research Institute (ECADI), Theatre Projects, and Nagata Acoustics, was formally commissioned to deliver the building from concept to completion. The project was originally set to be completed in 2025, as part of a broader cultural master plan aimed at reinforcing Shanghai's role as an international centre of culture and innovation.

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First Look at Snøhetta’s Shanghai Grand Opera House as Construction Nears Completion

The Snøhetta–designed Shanghai Grand Opera House is nearing completion on the banks of the Huangpu River, with opening anticipated in the second half of 2026. Newly released images document the project as interior works advance and key public spaces take shape. The opera house was first awarded to Snøhetta following an international competition in 2017 and has since been developed by a consortium including East China Architectural Design & Research Institute (ECADI), Theatre Projects, and Nagata Acoustics. Commissioned in 2019, the team has led the project from concept design through construction, integrating architectural, landscape, interior, and acoustic strategies within a unified framework.

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The 25 Tallest Buildings in the World

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Humanity has become obsessed with breaking its limits, creating new records only to break them again and again. In fact, our cities’ skylines have always been defined by those in power during every period in history. At one point churches left their mark, followed by public institutions and in the last few decades, it's commercial skyscrapers that continue to stretch taller and taller. 

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has developed its own system for classifying tall buildings, stating that the Burj Khalifa (828 m.) is the world’s tallest building right now. Read on for the 25 tallest buildings in the world today.

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Shanghai Jiabei Country Park West - Visitor Center / ECADI of Arcplus Group

Shanghai Jiabei Country Park West - Visitor Center / ECADI of Arcplus Group - Public Architecture
© Wenyi Liu

Shanghai Jiabei Country Park West - Visitor Center / ECADI of Arcplus Group - Public ArchitectureShanghai Jiabei Country Park West - Visitor Center / ECADI of Arcplus Group - Public ArchitectureShanghai Jiabei Country Park West - Visitor Center / ECADI of Arcplus Group - Public ArchitectureShanghai Jiabei Country Park West - Visitor Center / ECADI of Arcplus Group - Public ArchitectureShanghai Jiabei Country Park West - Visitor Center / ECADI of Arcplus Group - More Images+ 24