The Glass Wall of Opera Houses

In the twenty-first century, many argue that Opera is a dying art form and no one wants to see an opera. However, since 2000 many opera houses have been built around the world in centres without longstanding traditions of opera. As a result architects are now forced to balance the centuries of traditions of opera with a contemporary audience. Architect and city developers have begun to think of inventive ways to use architecture of opera houses as a lure to attract those who might not typically attend the opera. The act of going to the opera begins with the transportation chosen to get there, followed by interaction with the public spaces outside, through the doors into the public lobby, and finally into the auditorium. The opera house can be a space that people do not only go to see a performance but to feel like a part of a community. This integration is developed through the architecture of the opera house and, in particular, the choice of material of glass in many contemporary opera houses. This relationship of community inside versus outside the opera house is permeable through this glass wall. Understanding the opera house as a creator of community allows for opera to remain an integral part of culture moving further into the twenty-first century.