margot and bill winspear opera house by foster + partners/OMA at the AT &T performing arts center in dallas
all images © nigel young
image courtesy foster + partners

the margot and bill winspear opera house, dallas by foster + partners opened yesterday.

responding to the dallas climate, a solar canopy extends from the building, shading
a fully glazed, sixty-foot-tall lobby which enhances the transparency of the building.
this establishes a direct relationship between inside and outside, creating greater
accessibility and thus a more democratic building. beneath the canopy, which forms
an integral part of the environmental strategy, a shaded pedestrian plaza creates a major
new public space for dallas, as defined by the masterplan designed by foster + partners
and OMA for the AT&T performing arts center.


margot and bill winspear opera house
image courtesy foster + partners


margot and bill winspear opera house
image courtesy foster + partners

internally, behind the glazed screen, there are a series of publicly welcoming spaces,
which wrap around the rich red glass drum of the auditorium.

the auditorium for an audience of 2200 is designed to be as intimate as possible.
a horseshoe plan combined with the dramatic vertical stacking of its six seating levels
ensures that the audience is as close as possible to the stage, thus enhancing the impact
of the performance. the distance between the stage and the balcony is only 85 ft.
intimacy is further reinforced by emphasizing the balcony fronts, with their white gold
finish highlighted against the rich dark red interior. the carefully designed acoustics are
also enhanced by the compactness of the auditorium. the detail and finishes improve
the resonance of the human voice, while making the orchestra sound rich but clear.
a chandelier with 320 cascading acrylic tubes of light is drawn up into the ceiling of
the auditorium with its two mighty rings, at the beginning of each performance.
argentinean artist guillermo kuitca was commissioned to create a curtain for the stage.


margot and bill winspear opera house
image courtesy foster + partners


margot and bill winspear opera house - grand staircase
image courtesy foster + partners


margot and bill winspear opera house - entrance
image courtesy foster + partners


margot and bill winspear opera house
image courtesy foster + partners