Dream plan for riverside theaters

THE West Bund Dream Center, a collection of riverside theaters along the Huangpu River, is being developed on the West Bund waterfront in Xuhui District.

One of the largest groups of cultural facilities in Asia, the West Bund has created the “Art Museum Mile” with museums and art galleries converted from former industrial heritage structures along Longteng Avenue.

The Dream Center, the new landmark project, will include the West Bund Dome, West Bund Grand Theater and the West Bund Art Center South Branch. The future theaters and concert halls will have thousands of seats and cuttingedge performance equipment.

The project was promoted at the latest session of the Hui Forum on Saturday, where designers and architects shared detailed plans on the project at the newly unveiled Flagship West Bund Service Station.

The dome, redeveloped from what was once Asia’s largest cement plant built in 1920, opened to the public last month with choreographer Shen Wei’s multimedia work “Integrate.”

Ten performances attracted 7,000 visitors nationwide and tickets sold out immediately, said Li Ming, director of the Center for the China Shanghai International Arts Festival and the chief producer of the multimedia show.

It combined various art forms in a three-part performance — an exhibition displaying 64 of his artworks, including paintings and photographs, videos edited by Shen and shown on four giant screens and a dance with 37 performers.

“The dome has become an online sensation in Shanghai, attracting artists, movie stars and young art lovers from across the country,” Li told the forum.

The West Bund has great development potential because it has gathered a large number of quality audiences, Li added. The Dream Center is expected to become a new cultural landmark in the city and the largest art zone in Asia.