About ZIWA

The Discovering Zürich and Switzerland group pull off another successful trip, this time to Luzern's modern conference centre, the Kultur-und Kongresszentrum Luzern or KKL. Friday afternoon's visit of 19 enthusiastic members was blessed by beautiful sunny weather, in contrast with the day in February when we did our dry-run, which turned out to be decidedly damp. First, lunch was enjoyed in the cosy Restaurant Mostrose beside the historic old chapel bridge, one of LuzernÕs famous landmarks which was rebuilt after almost being destroyed by fire in 1993. Then the group gathered by the fountain outside the modern concert hall, admiring the clear views of Rigi and the Vierwaldstättersee. Our guide for the tour of the architecture and design of the fascinating structure was an American, Denise Fehlmann; the architect was Jean Nouvel, a Frenchman, and the group of ZIWA members comprised at least 10 nationalities.

The KKL was opened in 2000 and the building contains an 1800-seater concert hall, a multipurpose hall used for smaller performances, a fully equipped conference and convention centre and an art museum which is open to the public; there are also four restaurants and bars inside. The themes for the design of the building were colour and light, water and reflections. The exterior of the building takes advantage of its position by the lake to allow reflections in the ceiling, floors and glass walls. Much of the interior resembles a ship, and the hall is linked to the lake by two canals and a fountain. The predominant colours are midnight blue, Bordeaux red and grey-black. The entrance to the concert hall is surprisingly intimate, but inside a huge shoebox-shaped space is revealed. Top conductors such as Daniel Baremboim and Claudio Abbado were consulted about the acoustic during the design and construction, as the annual Lucerne Festival is one of the world's most prestigious music events. Absolute silence can be achieved inside the hall by means of the surrounding reverberation chamber which muffles external sound. The walls of the hall comprise heavy doors which can be adjusted before and during the performance. Every aspect of the building's design was maximised to take advantage of the space for filming, rehearsals and media events. The Luzerner Saal is a smaller auditorium which can host rock concerts, plays and banquets as well as providing rehearsal space during the festival. The convention centre is adjacent to the station and permits underground access.

Unsurprisingly perhaps, the building also contains an elegant restaurant, Red, a World Café which opens onto the terrace, and the Crystal Lounge bar; during concerts, drinks can be served on the lakeside terrace as well as on the third floor balcony and the rooftop terrace. If you haven't discovered the KKL yet, make sure to pay it a visit, or book online or in person for one of its many musical events. Thanks to Anne-Marie for organising another interesting tour and for laying on perfect weather!

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