The China Philharmonic this week revealed the design for its new concert hall, designed by MAD Architects. It will serve as home base for the orchestra beginning in 2019. The focus of the design is a 1,600-seat concert hall, housed in a building whose translucent facade will give off a soft glow and is intended to evoke a piece of jade. Lush greenery and a lotus pond will surround the building, while inside the hall, the seating layout aims to bring to mind sloping terraces, with “wooden lakes” surrounding the stage.

On the ceiling of the auditorium, white sound reflection petals will resemble the segments of a lotus flower, while natural light coming from above has been designed to evoke the sense of being at the center of a blooming flower when seated in the audience. The white petals have been conceived to be used during performances too, when lighting and other projections will be choreographed to the music being performed.

The building also includes a 400-seat rehearsal hall adjacent to the lotus pond with an interior of curved wooden walls. Also included are spaces for a recording studio, a library and a gallery. Plans for the hall are said to be rooted in Eastern philosophy, with the aim of creating a space within the busy city that encourages “conversations between people, nature, and music.”

Ma Yansong, founder and principal partner of MAD Architects, describes the goal as designing “a pure and sacred oasis in the midst of the bustling city.” Collaborating on the project is acoustic designer Yasuhisa Toyota, who has previously designed venues including the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Philharmonie in Paris and Japan’s Suntory Hall.

Said to be a high-priority national project, the hall is located in Beijing’s Central Business District near the Workers’ Stadium and covers a site of 11,600 square meters. Construction is to begin later this year, with completion expected in 2019.