Taichung Tourism

A Stunning world of 21st century cultural facilities

On April 2, 2014, the National Performing Arts Center was officially established, turning a new page in Taiwanese performing arts.

The National Theater and Concert Hall, The National Taichung Theater and the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, from north, central, and south Taiwan, respectively, form a coalition, and are in league with the National Symphony Orchestra, providing international production experience, and specialized theater services, with the goal of educating and fostering arts appreciation and enriching life with the arts.

National Taichung Theater is a continuation of the 1987 completion of the National Concert Hall and Theater. After nearly 30 years since the first opening of a national performance venue, NTT is a 21st-century cultural facility that is not only a new landmark in the city, but also represents a cultural step forward.

Taichung is located in the geographical heart of Taiwan and is a city with a storied, profound cultural heritage. Now, for this city's energetic, lively, and ambitious people, we have created this stunning world-class performance and exhibition facility.

In 2005, the Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, Toyo Ito, won the extremely competitive international contest to design our theater, besting contestants from 13 countries, and delivering to us this magnificent 21st-century artistic venue.

This building doesn't just host operas; it is an opera!

Toyo Ito pondered that if the natural world is constantly changing, and every living thing never stops changing, then why is it that buildings never change?

"I am always searching for a building which is something like a ripple on a river-- one that can follow the river's currents but maintain its own spatial integrity."

Because of this thought, Toyo Ito broke all traditional concert hall rules of sealed structures, creating a theater composed almost completely of curved walls. The walls flow into the ceilings with no clear boundaries dividing them. In fact, the entire space flows without boundaries, allowing the venue to host nearly any type of event.

The theater is like whirlpool in central Taiwan, the crowds striving for a cosmopolitan flavor will be attracted and flow inwards, causing the arts to seep into every corner of the city.

Also because of its special construction, Toyo Ito described this building as one you use your ears to listen to. Accompanied by the theater's natural lighting which constantly changes, when you walk through the theater you hear different sounds, producing unique sensations.

This building is not just being used for opera, the building itself is an opera. Enter the hall, and you begin a transformative journey through this ingeniously-designed opera.

The venue has six stories, featuring the Grand Theater, Playhouse, a magical Sky Garden and a shopping center. On the second basement level there are Black Box, Rehearsal Rooms, and a mechanical room. Outdoors there are a fountain, Outdoor Plaza and Outdoor Theater.

From the outside you can view the curved, concrete walls and glass screens which majestically adorn the building. This "Teapot Residence" shape is a metaphor, for all who enter the theater will be intoxicated with delight by the artistic contents that reside within.
 

A Daring Project: A base to reinvigorate the arts

This theater builds on the daring vision and bold spirit that have culminated in promoting the arts and life in both classic and modern styles.

The history of the performing arts is as long as the story of humanity. As time slips by, classic works of art have gathered innumerably. In the theater's role as "A Base to Reinvigorate the Arts", the theater is a base for classical cultural with modern philosophy and technological advances, world-class programming, and revamping the breadth of its audiences. Now locals need not travel far to see the world!

In cooperation with Taiwan's three National Performing Arts Centers, NTT is integrating resources and balancing the region in order to achieve maximum efficiency. Taking the arts, service, and education as its three core tenets, the theater brings you the highest caliber works of art here or abroad, experts in theater techniques and services, as well as a strong promotional plan so all can gain a deep understanding of the arts. Thusly, we use the theater's facilities or "hardware" and its programming or "software" to bring about the greatest cultural impact.

The Arts - Uniting and balancing local regions with international cooperation

The theater has made its program to unite Taiwan's regions a priority. In 2015 the Overture Plan was created featuring the works of folk arts, traditional theater, symphonies, choirs, and different types of local ensembles as well as international heavyweights, sponsoring many Asia premieres.

Starting a Round Table Arts Partnership Program, and representing the first partnership in central Taiwan, the theater promotes myriad types of arts, emphasizing specialties of the central region, leading to greater collaboration opportunities and allowing this artistic base to declare "Blast off!"

Services - The professionalism of the stage, friendliness of the neighborhood

Besides NTT's services which it provides to the professional crew on and behind the stage, NTT also provides attentive service to our audiences, giving our patrons excellent service, and accompanying them on their journey through our venue.

Backstage our motto is "An advanced yet easy to use theater." Trained and organized staff, always with safety in mind, maximize flexibility and service, achieving the pinnacle in theater arts.

A visitors' first experience when entering the Theater, from the front desk to all the public spaces, is that the building is made of carefree spaces and flowing lines, reflecting the harmony of the theater's architectural design, as a "modern art gallery of urban movement".

With our excellent service, the audience can enjoy the splendor of the theater arts, great dining, great drinks, great shopping, in short, a great life.

Education—Planting the seeds of tomorrow in the arts garden

Promoting education not only brings together arts and the people, it is a commitment to the next generation of theater. Spurring the buds of the arts to bloom, the "Theater Salon" lecture series, workshops, and artists-in-residence, and other events are planned base on different performance types and audiences. The "Theater Salon" lecture series, workshops, and artists-in-residence, and other events, the populace will get an electric jolt into their hearts, and spontaneously fall in love with and appreciate the arts.

Our arts promotion isn't limited only to the theater. We reach out to the community in the countryside, campuses, and businesses. By sowing seeds for the arts today, we are creating a more prosperous arts garden.

National Taichung Theater, whether through its facilities or programming, dares to pursue imagination and boldly puts it into practice. The people eagerly anticipate this brand new artistic style. Changing the city and reinvigorating central Taiwan—this is our mission and it is also our promise.