The National Grand Theater, still under construction, is reflected in a man-made lake in Beijing on Thursday. The final building shields for the theater, along Chang'an Street near Tian'anmen Square, will be removed Friday, June 15, 2007.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, June 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The final building shields for the Chinese Grand theater will be removed Friday. 

    The theatre covers about 149,500 square meters and comprises three gigantic halls, including a 2,416-seat opera house, a 2,017-seat concert hall and a 1,040-seat theater.

    The main building of the National Grand Theater will be surrounded by a man-made lake with an area of up to 35,500 square meters.

    Located in the heart of Beijing, near Tiananmen Square, the landmark theater is a modern building which stands out from its surroundings. Construction work began in December 2001 after four years of deliberation among the country's policy makers.

    Said to resemble a "silver tear", the theater, designed by French architect Paul Andreu, has sparked debate among domestic experts on whether such an modern design was appropriate for the center of Beijing. However, it was listed among the top ten architectural miracles by the U.S.-based Journal Business Week for its energy-saving and environmentally friendly design.

    With an investment totaling 2.69 billion yuan (about 336 million U.S. dollars) and covering a construction area of 200,000 square meters, the theater was the biggest cultural project under China's 10th Five-Year Plan period (2001-2005).  

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