Five opera houses that could double as a Bond villain's evil lair

Opera houses typically have an aura of sophistication and elegance. Most of them were built in the 19th century, which makes them all seem rather similar. But as those old houses age and decay, they’ve been replaced by modern structures that can sometimes look sinister. Here are five modern opera houses that could also moonlight as a villain’s lair from a James Bond film

Copenhagen Opera House

Completed in 2004, the Copenhagen Opera House is home to the national opera of Denmark. Made with German limestone and Sicilian Perlatino marble, the structure is meant to give the illusion that it is on an island. Isolation seems to be one of the most important criteria for evil villain bases, and this building emanates that vibe as a solo structure beside the vast ocean. It also has a personal box for the queen, which gives our fictitious antagonist a place to scheme. 

Beijing’s National Centre for Performing Arts

Described as the giant egg, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China, gives off a futuristically sterile quality. The center is a titanium and glass ellipsoid dome surrounded by an artificial lake. It resembles an egg floating in the water. This opera house, as a lair, would probably belong to the Bond villain who would most likely appeal to the audience upon first meeting — until we hear about the brutality used to achieve it.  

Oslo Opera House

Home to the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, the Oslo Opera House boasts sharply defined edges and jagged but precise features. The idea was to make the structure look similar to a ski slope, popular in Norway. Instead, the ominous building is reminiscent of the lair belonging to the evil organization Hoffler Klinik from the 2015 James Bond film, Spectre.

Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofía

Undoubtedly one of the more interesting designs, the Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofía is located in Valencia, Spain. While this opera house is firmly inland, the design gives off vibes of Atlantis, the evil marine laboratory in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me.

Chuvash Opera and Ballet Theatre

The Chuvash State Opera and Ballet Theater in Cheboksary, Russia, was built in 1960, making it the oldest venue on this list. This structure gives off post-Soviet aesthetics. It’s a large, gray, concrete structure that looks more like an industrial building than a place of art. It represents Brutalist architecture at its finest. Similar styles can be seen by Bond villain Alec Trevelyan in 1995’s Goldeneye, who used decaying Soviet structures before making his move to the Arecibo Observatory.