The £61m Curve theatre in Leicester has opened its doors after three years of construction.

Based in the St George’s Conservation Area in the heart of the city’s cultural quarter, the building was designed by the Uruguayan-born, New York-based architect Rafael Viñoly and is his first completed project in the UK.

Curve, which replaces the Haymarket Theatre, boasts two auditoriums – the 750-seat main theatre and a 350-seat studio – that can be combined into one space.

The project is part of the city council’s regeneration scheme and was funded by the council, Arts Council England, East Midlands Development Agency, The European Union and the Leicestershire Economic Partnership.

Ross Willmott, leader of Leicester City Council, said: “We wanted a world-class building that sets a marker for where we are going as a city. Curve is just that. It states our ambition clearly and powerfully.”

The Leicester Theatre Trust, an independent charitable organisation, will run the Curve. The group’s artistic director, Paul Kerryson, said: “Curve’s completion has seen the culmination of expertise, ambition and dedication, and we are delighted to have a brand new home that will enable us to push the boundaries of 21st century theatre-making.”