Inflatable Concert Hall draws Mixed Reviews at Lucerne Festival
Lucerne, Switzerland – September 7, 2025 – The Lucerne Festival is currently hosting performances within the ARK Nova, a striking, inflatable concert hall designed by artist Anish Kapoor. While visually arresting, the unconventional venue has sparked debate regarding its acoustic qualities, with some attendees and critics noting shortcomings despite its innovative design.
The ARK Nova,unveiled this week,represents a bold experiment in concert hall architecture. Constructed from a durable, air-supported membrane, the hall offers a unique aesthetic experience, diverging sharply from traditional concert venues. Though, the novel construction presents acoustic challenges, impacting the sound experience for performers and audiences alike. The festival anticipates continued evaluation of the hall’s performance throughout the remainder of the performance series.
The hall, a collaboration between Kapoor and sound engineer Yasuhisa Toyota, aims to redefine the concert experience. Its design prioritizes a visually immersive environment,but achieving optimal acoustics within the flexible structure has proven complex. ZVG, the source of imagery from the festival, captured the hall’s futuristic appearance, highlighting its departure from conventional concert hall designs.
Performances are ongoing at the ARK Nova as part of the Lucerne Festival, which runs through September 15, 2025. the festival continues to gather feedback on the venue’s acoustic performance, with potential adjustments planned for future iterations.
