The Wuxi Taihu Show theatre, designed by Steven Chilton Architects with a forest of bamboo-inspired columns around its perimeter, has opened in Jiangsu Province, China.

Built to house a permanent water show by Franco Dragone, with its designs released last year, the 2,000-seat theatre was inspired by China's largest bamboo forest – the Sea of Bamboo Park in Yixing.

The circular building is wrapped in a full-height glazed façade and has a canopy extending out from its top that holds in place the screen of slightly angled, crisscrossing columns.

The columns and canopy provide shade for the glazed volume, helping to moderate the temperature inside.

As well as providing an aesthetic feature, the columns provide a distinction between theatre and the surrounding area, with gaps to allow for points of access.

White and gold detailing provide a striking but understated finish and, when the theatre is illuminated at night, there is an interplay between the light and the columns.