From a land full of contrasted beauty comes an exquisite experience of opera and orchestral music. The Sultanate of Oman has always been interested in such fine arts and has tried through the years to develop a strong committee of great taste.
The Royal Opera House in Muscat, which will be opening by 2010, tells a story of great accomplishments, enormous achievements and brilliant investment. It will be a public landmark for Oman and a dream come true to opera lovers and passionate theatre-goers alike.
The design of the Royal Opera House is a collaboration between the International Destination Design Firm WATG and the in-house interior designers of the Royal Court of Oman. The exterior appearance of the place is a combination of modern architectural design as well as Omani- inspired architectural design inspired by old Omani forts and castles; blending modern notions with local traditions and heritage.
The interior design of the Royal Opera House however is modeled after early European concert halls and opera houses. This unique venue can be formatted as a 1000 seat concert hall for musical performances or reduced in seating capacity to 800 seats for dramatic and operatic productions. It is necessary to mention that the most distinctive characteristics of this project is the extendable moveable concert hall’s shell. A mobile structure that can be detached to allow an adjustable front stage to drop into place and create a traditional theatre format, this exceptional feature can create a unique adaptable volume which gives the venue a natural sense of auditory potentials. Furthermore, latest technology equipments will be included such as: adjustable acoustic and visual systems.
Some people may mistakenly think that the Royal Opera House is merely for entertainment purposes; well it’s not. Other than opera performances and plays, the Royal Opera House will also be a venue for significantly large conferences and breathtaking high-class ceremonies. The 80,000 square meters initial site is being developed to hold the opera building, a formally landscaped park, a cultural souk with museums, a village square, latest brand shops as well as fancy restaurants and coffee shops.
The Royal Opera House is the first of it’s kind in the Sultanate and Gulf; a new landmark in the Sultanate and a symbol of the nation’s support and sponsorship of the fine arts and development alike.
– A’Shaatha Al-Sharji
