She was briefed on construction work and samples of the materials used in interior designs. She also lauded the efforts of the taskforce in charge of following up the project adding that the scheme would be a landmark monument in Bahrain and the region. The BD19 million-project is expected to be complete by in July 2012.
“His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa has a keen interest in the multi-million cultural icon”, she said, describing the project as part of preparations to celebrate Bahrain as the Arab Culture Capital 2012 and Arab Tourism Capital in 2013. Works Minister Essam Khalaf also hailed the project as a state of the art cultural centre which would boost the theatrical, artistic and cultural activities in Bahrain. The state of the art National Amphitheatre will be constructed north of the Bahrain National Museum Lake and cover up to 11,869 square metres. It will host local and international musical concerts and other artistic and cultural shows, with the main hall capable of accommodating up to 1000 spectators. It will be equipped with cutting edge lighting, acoustic and audio-visual systems. The landmark facility will also boast a parking capable of accommodating 290 cars, in addition to the existing parking lots pertaining to the Bahrain National Museum. Other extra works will also be undertaken as part of the project to revamp the lake beachfront. French Architecture Studio has been commissioned to undertake the urban designs of the project while W.S Atkins and Partners Overseas firm is in charge of supervising the scheme. Culture and Arts Director Abdulqader Aqeel, Acting Theatre and Music Director Khalid Al-Ruwae and Engineering Services chief Noura Al-Sayeh attended.