Citizens from all walks of life flocked yesterday evening to the National Academy for the Performing Arts at the Princes Building grounds, Queen’s Park West, Port of Spain, where they looked on in awe at the massive structure.

Many of them milled around the compound with their families looking on at the ’dancing fountains’ which moved synchronously with the music that blasted from speakers outside the building.

There was an air of excitement all through the evening and generally people seemed pleased with what they saw. Some expressed the view that their tax dollars had been well spent.

’All I can say is wow. It is a beautiful building. It is great,’ Carol Les-Pierre, one of the onlookers, told the Express.

She was just one of many people who stood on the outside looking at the giant Academy, where a function was being held to officially open the building to the public.

Like many of the onlookers who spoke to the Express, Les-Pierre said she was impressed with the work that was done by the Chinese.

’We really have to thank them, eh. They have shown us what we can do. I mean it just amazing. I have not been inside yet. I hope to be there at the opening (ceremony) of the Commonwealth (Heads of Government Meeting) but just from what I am seeing on the outside I know that it is beautiful.’

Inside the massive auditorium where the ceremony was held another spectator John Ryan, a businessman who resides in London and was invited to the event, said he was impressed with the Academy. He described it as a beautiful ’piece of architecture’.

’I’ve travelled all over, I’ve been to China, I lived in the US at one time and what I can say, is that by world standards it is truly a great building. I am impressed.’