Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

In the opera house, the audience is stacked vertically on four balconies, pulling the spectators intimately close to the stage. The room features flexible staging, forestage extensions, demountable orchestra shell, and state-of-the-art lighting and AV equipment. Backstage, the theatre features motorized, programmed batons and 12 self-driving wagons, which are powered by inductive loops built into the flooring and guided by wifi and GPS. With the wagons, the user can exchange three full sets in the course of an opera.  The other performance space, a flexible theatre, has a wrap-around balcony, adjustable seating, and flying bars and bridges subtly integrated into the ceiling. The LEED-platinum complex includes a 43-acre public park with an outdoor amphitheatre, man-made canal, and public gathering and athletic areas.