Photo: Seraina Wirz and Patrick Hürlimann
In the idyllic Swiss city of Lucerne, the traditional concert experience has been reimagined. This year, Lucerne Festival didn’t take place inside a traditional venue with four walls, nor did it take place on a standard stage. Instead, the music festival unfolded inside Ark Nova, an inflatable concert hall designed by British artist Anish Kapoor and the late architect Arata Isozaki.
Monumental, unexpected, and highly contemporary, Ark Nova was originally conceived by Kapoor and Isozaki in response to the 2011 Fukushima earthquake. The installation was later unveiled on September 27, 2013, in Matsushima, Japan, after two years of technical planning and construction. It then toured the country’s flood-hit regions, serving as a symbol of hope, resilience, and unity through the musical performances it hosted. More than a decade later, Ark Nova landed in Lucerne, where it hosted 35 concerts ranging from classical and jazz to pop and folk for up to 500 people at a time.
These concerts were only enhanced by the structure’s architectural ingenuity, most clearly encapsulated in its innovative shape. From the outside, the hall towers at a height of 36 meters (about 118 feet) and resembles some sort of bean, its center hollow and offering a tiny glimpse into the sky above. Its facade is doused in an opaque purple, elegantly reflecting the light while adding a sense of mystery and intrigue. Stepping inside, however, reveals an atmosphere bathed in a translucent red. Here, too, is Ark Nova’s most distinctive feature: an internal tube that beautifully intersects the space. It’s visually arresting, but it also serves a practical purpose, helping to modulate acoustics throughout the space.
Taken in its entirety, Ark Nova is yet another example of how concert venues can be transformed into immersive, sculptural artworks. For its iteration in Lucerne, the structure also housed sing-alongs, workshops, and other participatory musical experiences, further integrating everyday life with an artistic environment. Alongside the concerts inside Ark Nova, the festival staged an accompanying exhibition at the Hans Erni Museum exploring the structure’s development.
“The opening of the Ark Nova in Lucerne marks a milestone—a symbol of the power of culture to bring people together and inspire hope,” Michael Haefliger, executive and artistic director of Lucerne Festival, said in a statement.
Lucerne Festival ran from August 12 to September 14, 2025. To learn more about Ark Nova and the concerts it hosted, visit the Lucerne Festival website.
Ark Nova, an inflatable concert hall designed by Anish Kapoor and the late Arata Isozaki, recently touched down in Lucerne for the city’s music festival.
Photo: Seraina Wirz and Patrick Hürlimann
Photo: Seraina Wirz and Patrick Hürlimann
Photo: Seraina Wirz and Patrick Hürlimann
Photo: Seraina Wirz and Patrick Hürlimann
Photo: Seraina Wirz and Patrick Hürlimann
Photo: Seraina Wirz and Patrick Hürlimann
Photo: Seraina Wirz and Patrick Hürlimann
Photo: Seraina Wirz and Patrick Hürlimann
The structure was originally conceived as a response to the 2011 Fukushima disaster, serving as a symbol of hope, resilience, and unity through its musical performances.
Photo: Seraina Wirz and Patrick Hürlimann
Photo: Seraina Wirz and Patrick Hürlimann
Photo: Seraina Wirz and Patrick Hürlimann
Lucerne Festival: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Lucerne Festival.
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