Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Singapore’s performing arts centre, known for its spiky “durian” domes on Marina Bay.
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is Singapore's national performing arts centre, set on the Marina Bay waterfront near the mouth of the Singapore River and beside Esplanade Park. Construction began in 1996 and the centre was officially opened on 12 October 2002. The design was developed by the Singapore practice DP Architects, initially working with the London firm Michael Wilford & Partners, and the complex has become one of the most recognisable buildings on the city skyline.
Its two main venues sit beneath rounded glass shells covered with more than 7,000 triangular aluminium sunshades, which moderate the tropical sun while admitting daylight. The spiky profile has led to the popular nickname 'the durian'. Beneath the domes are a Concert Hall of about 1,600 seats and a Theatre of about 2,000 seats, supported by a Recital Studio, a Theatre Studio, an Outdoor Theatre by the water and the Singtel Waterfront Theatre, which opened in 2022.
Esplanade presents a year-round programme spanning music, dance, theatre, children's work and the visual arts, with a particular focus on the traditions of Singapore's Chinese, Malay and Indian communities and on contemporary Asian performance. Alongside ticketed productions it stages many free performances in its public spaces, and runs recurring festivals such as Baybeats, Octoburst! and da:ns focus. The building also contains a performing arts library, shops, restaurants and a roof terrace with views over Marina Bay.
Highlights
- Twin domes clad in more than 7,000 triangular aluminium sunshades
- Concert Hall of about 1,600 seats and Theatre of about 2,000 seats
- Free performances on the Outdoor Theatre stage beside Marina Bay
- Singtel Waterfront Theatre, a 611-seat venue opened in 2022
- Roof terrace with views across Marina Bay and the city skyline
