Beijing-based Studio Zhu-Pei has built this performing arts center for the city of Dali, an important tourist destination and a significant stop on the Silk Road, in China’s Yunnan province. Curves on the huge, cantilevering rectangular roof are modeled on the natural topography around – with the Cang Mountains and Erhai Lake close by – and the Chinese philosophical principle of the yin and yang, whereby two opposites combine to form a whole. The wooden frame illuminates the spaces naturally through skylights, creating a play of lights and shadows. The 8,155-square-meter complex includes a theater, an amphitheater, a rehearsal room, a restaurant, a store, and offices.