The Aleppo Opera House situated in Aleppo, the third largest city in Syria is a confluence of Mediterranean, Middle East and European cultures. The site for the project a 2-hectare stretch of land between the Great Mosque and Fountain Square of the city centre is restricted on several grounds by planning and building regulations.
Courtesy of PROMONTORIO
For instance the building footprint is limited to 45% of the plot area. As a result, the architects proposed a simple and compact rectangular box form. It was conceived as a structural grid of squares and cylinders intersected by arches and spherical domes.
Courtesy of PROMONTORIO
the entry way is announced by a large open-air porticoFor the facades the architects sought inspiration from the historical Aleppo pistachio leaves and flowers in creating a semi-transparent drapery of lace that envelops the rectangular box. The archways further translate this idea of lightness and transparency expressed by the perforated veil.
Courtesy of PROMONTORIO
The library sits on top of the opera auditorium concealing the technical parts of the theatre box. A roof top courtyard adds to the mixed-use functions of the house. Inside, the Opera is an all-time classic auditorium with stalls, boxes and multilevel balconies, with its bulkheads in an acoustic gold-leafed pattern and a large central chandelier.
Project info:
Architects: PROMONTORIO
Country: Syria, Aleppo
Year: 2010
Photographs: Courtesy of PROMONTORIO
Hassan Yakubu is an editor at Arch2O with a deep academic and professional background in architecture, planning, and urban infrastructure. Currently pursuing his Ph.D. at Cornell University, his editorial focus spans climate urbanism, sustainability transitions, and the intersection of infrastructure and STS. Hassan brings a sharp critical lens shaped by fieldwork in Accra and policy research across Africa. With prior experience leading pedagogical initiatives and contributing to architectural practices in Rabat and Accra, his writing brings clarity, academic depth, and a global perspective to contemporary urban issues and design thinking.