National Centre for the Performing Arts

When the National Centre for the Performing Arts first opened its doors in 2007, it marked the culmination of a national aspiration almost 60 years in the planning. Shortly after the founding of the New China in 1949, a new performing arts centre was envisioned as a project to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the People's Republic. However, almost 40 years passed before the State Council finally approved the proposal in April 1998.
☆　Chairman Mao Zedong and the Communist Party Central Committee had decided to start building a series of large public facilities - including the National Centre for the Performing Arts - as early as 1958 to mark the 10th anniversary. Premier Zhou Enlai personally took charge of selecting the site and examining design proposals.
☆　In October 1996, the Sixth Plenary Session of the 14th Communist Party of China Central Committee adopted the resolution Issues Arising from the Construction of Socialist Ideological and Ethical Establishments, which explicitly stated the government would establish key national cultural projects, including the construction of a national museum and the National Centre for the Performing Arts.
☆　In October 1997, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee commissioned Beijing municipal government to begin preparations for the establishment of the Centre.
☆　The Leading Group for the construction of the National Centre for the Performing Arts was formed in January 1998. Beijing Municipality, with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Construction, took charge of the National Centre for the Performing Arts Construction Project Proprietary Commission. The Commission decided to put the project out to international tender with the priority being given to invited bidders.
☆　Construction was authorized in April 1998, when the State Council issued the Notification of the State Council's Endorsement of the Construction of the National Centre for the Performing Arts Proposed by the State Development Planning Commission. The International Invitational Design Proposal Competition was launched the same month. The best proposal was selected after two rounds of judging with advice from architects, theatre specialists, artists and members of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference from around the country.

☆　On July 22, 1999, the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee approved the design jointly
☆　In February 2000, Beijing Urban Construction Group, Construction Group (Hong Kong) and Shanghai Construction Group were named the general contractors for the construction after a nationwide tender process. SECSC (Beijing) Co., Ltd. was named the construction supervisor.
☆　The State Development Planning Commission authorized the site preparations on April 1, 2000.
☆　In August 2000, the State Development Planning Commission commissioned the China International Engineering Consulting Corporation (CIECC) to organize and implement an assessment of the construction feasibility study.
☆　The State Council approved the Feasibility Study Report on 2 February 2001.
☆　The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee approved the Feasibility Study Report on February 15, 2001.
☆　On March 15, 2001, the State Development Planning Commission officially approved the Feasibility Study Report.

☆　In June 2001, the State Development Planning Commission instructed China International Engineering Consulting Corporation (CIECC) to assess the preliminary design of the National Centre for the Performing Arts.
☆　On November 26, 2001, the State Development Planning Commission approved the preliminary design.
☆　On December 6, 2001, the State Development Planning Commission approved the construction.
☆　Construction officially began on December 13, 2001.
☆　On April 17, 2003, "topping-off" of the main structure was completed.
☆　On August 5, 2003, the ring-beam engineering of the steel shell structure was completed.
☆　On September 23, 2003, the arch girder installation in the steel shell structure commenced.
☆　On December 2, 2003, the assembly of the steel shell structure was completed. The hoisting and installation of the entire shell structure took just 76 working days, the fastest ever assembly of a steel shell structure in China.

☆　Glazing of the curtain walls of the shell began on May 27, 2004.
☆　In September 2004, the magnesium manganese alloy flashing on the shell structure was finished.
☆　The fitting of the titanium alloy plates on the shell began in September 2004.
☆　On April 28, 2006, construction of the shell structure construction was entirely completed.
☆　The exterior of the National Centre for the Performing Arts was revealed in its entirety on June 15, 2007.