Lucerne Culture & Congress Centre
200best ES
Jean NOUVEL – Ateliers Jean Nouvel
2000
Type
Cultural
Tags
cultural facilities, creative spaces, spaces of encounter, contemporary agoras, 200Best
Visitability
Allowed
Description
The reflection of water is the main feature of this great work on the shores of Lake Lucerne. The project is dominated by a colossal copper roof that covers the site and creates an open-air public space between the main functional spaces. The virtuality of its reflections gives rise to a changing atmosphere in which the physical presence of the building is dematerialised. Two factors play a role in this effect: the reflective properties of the copper and the use of glass. The roof lends integrity to the whole of the building, which is home to two concert halls and a conference centre. Each has its own unique characteristics, with the most sophisticated acoustic and lighting technologies used in their interiors. The building acts as a large infrastructure that resolves an edge of the city, with a distinctly contemporary expression, but at the same time relates to the historic city. It does so, on the one hand, through the scale of the façade elements and, on the other, by providing a vantage point from which to observe the city from an unprecedented perspective.