Chongqing Grand Theatre, Modern theater building in Jiangbeizui CBD, China

Chongqing Grand Theatre is a 64-metre, seven-storey building on the Jiangbeizui waterfront, designed by Meinhard von Gerkan of gmp and likened by its architect to a sailing ship, hence the nickname "Solitary Sail Far Shadow". Its surface is clad in pale green organic glass with a double-skin ventilated curtain wall that vents hot air at the top. Inside are a horseshoe-shaped main hall for 1,826 and a square two-level middle hall for 938.

The theatre was built between 2005 and 2009 in the Jiangbeizui central business district of Jiangbei, next to the Chongqing Science and Technology Museum. German firm gmp, led by Meinhard von Gerkan, designed the scheme; Shanghai East China Architectural Design & Research Institute handled structural design and Hunan Construction Engineering Group carried out the civil works. The total investment was 1.595 billion yuan.

The building houses two concert halls where operas, ballets, and musical performances take place regularly. Visitors can experience a range of artistic presentations designed for both large ensembles and smaller chamber music groups.

The two halls offer different seating capacities suited to different types of events and productions. Visitors should note that the location near the river and business district provides good access with parking options available nearby.

The theatre's south wall carries a 2,100-square-metre LED screen, described in Chinese sources as the fourth largest in the world and the largest in southwestern China. German architect Meinhard von Gerkan of gmp designed the building, which some residents compare to a tank rather than a sail.