Oman’s Contrarian Approach to Culture

I walked into the Royal Opera House Muscat last year curious about what Oman had built. The Gulf has produced some remarkable cultural projects, but this one felt different. I was struck by the fastidious attention to detail that you only see when someone actually cares about the thing they're building, not the headlines it might generate.

A seatback subtitle system, for instance. It is multilingual, perfectly positioned, and designed to disappear until you need it. And it is coupled with an obsession with acoustics tuned for everything from chamber music to full opera. The use of materials feels rooted in place. Above all, there is an emphasis on the listener that pervades every design decision.

It is a cultural project built from genuine taste.

A Contrarian Strategy

When the opera house opened in 2011