UNS (UNStudio) has unveiled the design of a multi-functional theatre featuring a structural lattice shell as part of the large-scale Central Yards development on Hong Kong’s Central Harbourfront. Conceived to redefine cultural infrastructure in one of the city’s most strategic urban locations, the project is set to serve as a new cultural landmark. The theatre forms part of the 4.8-hectare harbourfront development led by Henderson Land, integrating cultural, commercial, and public spaces within a cohesive urban framework.
The complex is introduced as Hong Kong’s first private, Broadway-caliber theatre, designed to host international productions, large-scale musicals, concerts, and contemporary performance events. The main auditorium accommodates over 1,100 seats, with a highly flexible spatial configuration that allows the venue to adapt to a wide range of performance scenarios—positioning the project as a future-oriented cultural infrastructure.
At the core of the project is the lattice shell—a unified structural system that dissolves the boundaries between architecture, structure, and acoustics. Beyond its structural role, the shell functions as an organizing framework for the stage, audience seating, and technical systems, shaping an immersive experience of space, sound, and movement. The interior of the auditorium is designed to maximize acoustic performance, visual clarity, and close audience–performer engagement at the highest possible level.
At the urban scale, the UNS theatre operates beyond the role of a conventional performance venue. Its lobbies, VIP areas, and circulation routes are directly connected to the surrounding urban fabric, green spaces, and adjacent office buildings, transforming the complex into an active public space throughout the day and night. This approach positions the theatre as a living part of the city’s everyday life, rather than a destination reserved solely for scheduled events.
The Central Yards Lattice Shell Theatre stands as a prime example of contemporary approaches to designing cultural spaces, where architecture, user experience, and urban development are intricately intertwined. The project demonstrates how cultural infrastructure can be defined as a driving force for spatial quality and urban identity at the heart of large-scale contemporary developments—serving as a model that could inspire similar initiatives in cities worldwide.