Harbin Opera House in Harbin, China

Harbin Opera House in Harbin, China

The up-and-coming Beijing-based MAD architectural design company created the Harbin Opera House, in northeastern China. Situated on a small island surrounded by wetlands of the Songhua River, the building’s exterior, like its interior, features sinuous curves that seem to have been shaped by the wind and water of its surroundings. From a viewing platform outside the performance space, visitors are afforded dramatic views of the Harbin skyline in the distance, with the natural wetlands below.