( CNN ) -- It took more than five years to build , but since its opening last year , the Guangzhou Opera House has become the jewel among the sprawling Chinese megacity 's bland urban landscape . Designed by British architect Zaha Hadid it looks more cosmic than communist , but Hadid has likened it to two rocks washed up from the Pearl River and deposited on its bank . From the smoothed corners of its asymmetrical exterior to the undulating 1,800-seat main theater , the concept of fluidity , like the flowing river nearby , goes from inside to out . `` I was very preoccupied at the time with things moving , '' said Hadid . `` That led to the drawings , and the drawings kind of led to distortion and deformation , and then the next influence was really landscape . '' The building has gained plaudits from around the world and won the best cultural building award at the 2011 RIBA International Awards . The judges complimented the building on its internal places and external forms as well as how the asymmetry of the auditorium did not detract from the near perfect acoustics . In a career spanning three decades , Hadid has built a reputation for designing seemingly unbuildable structures and the opera house 's construction explored new areas for both architect and builders . Essential for much of the design was keeping the building in harmony with the local topography and using natural materials to counter the subtropical climate . The exterior envelop of the buildings combine granite and glazing , with windows angled towards the ground to minimize heat from the sun . The granite cladding -- kept 50 centimeters away from the building -- is also in place to absorb heat and ensure that the interior of the building remains cool without excessive use of air-conditioning systems . Water from the Pearl River is also used directly in the building 's cooling systems . When the opera house opened reports suggested that Guangzhou 's humid climate and sub-standard construction led to problems with some of the granite slabs and glazing . The Guangzhou construction group that was contracted to build the opera house told the UK 's Daily Telegraph that cracks stemmed from `` normal shrinkage '' and any problems since opening were only because of the unexpected complexity of the project and design . A spokesperson for Zaha Hadid Architects admitted that some `` superficial elements '' needed adjustment post-opening , but they have since been addressed . Despite teething problems , the opera house has transformed a once moribund area of the city into the site of one of the world 's leading architectural icons .
Daily Telegraph was designed by Pritzker Prize winner , Pritzker Prize . Took May 2010 to build and opened in more than five years . Water from the Pearl River is used in the cooling systems .