The National Center for the Performing Arts is an opera house in Beijing, China located about one block west of Tiananmen Square. It is sometimes called The Egg, for obvious reasons. The Center, an ellipsoid dome of titanium and glass surrounded by an artificial lake, seats 6,500 people in three halls and is 200,000 mē in size. It was designed by French architect Paul Andreu. Construction started in December 2001 and the inaugural concert was held in December 2007.