The National Centre for the Performing Arts is noted for its distinctive outer landscapes. Surrounding the unique central construction is the mirror-like lake bounded by broad belts of green lawn and gardens. As well as being a spectacular scenic attraction, these landscapes also considerably improve the ecological environment in terms of dust and noise containment,and by helping to clean the air and control the temperature. Together, they amount to a classic representation of the architectural belief advocating the creation of a world of harmony among people and between humanity and art, and mankind and nature.

The Shell Noted for its clean, simple lines, the central building of the National Centre for the Performing Arts maintains its dramatic style even from the outside. A theatrical motif can be seen in the exterior: the outer titanium shell is broken by a glass curtain, reminiscent of a rising stage curtain, widening at the bottom. As night draws down, the curtain gradually "raises" itself to reveal a glitteringly magnificent landmark. The brightly illuminated exterior, studded with countless mushroom-shaped lights, becomes all the more splendid against a starlit sky. On such occasions, the National Centre for the Performing Arts takes the appearance of a beautifully wrought diamond against a glassy sea. The structure reaches 46.68 metres above the ground and 32.5 metres below, with a perimeter of more than 600 metres. The exterior showcases an ingenious material integration of 18,398 titanium plates and 1,226 sheets of ultra-white glass, a low-iron glass known for its high rate of light transmission.

The Lake The mirror-like lake surrounding the Centre combines with the silent oval shell to create an atmosphere of tranquility surrounding the artistic vigor and passion within. Drawing on the imperial river system of Beijing as the inspiration for its design, the 35,500-square-metre artificial lake is yet another stunning waterscape at the centre of the city. It remains ice-free in the winter and algae-free during the summer due to its water-circulation filtration system.

The Square Around the lake is a public square, which, designed as a large urban garden, affording the surrounding neighborhood a highly desirable sense of serenity amid the hustle and bustle of a modern city. Drawing on landscape concepts such as garden stratification and clustering, the design of the square embodies a remarkable moderation between seclusion and fecundity, intensity and sparsity, humanity and nature, classicism and modernity - the embodiment of harmony.