LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura

LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura is the new Arts Centre dedicated to the visual arts, music and the performing arts, which promises to become one of Switzerland’s most important cultural institutions, with the aim of promoting a wide range of art and establishing Lugano as a cultural crossroads between northern and southern Europe.

Born as a location for sharing and supporting the interdisciplinarity, the LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura immediately established its open approach to encounters regarding art, artists and the collective thanks to its striking architectural structure.

The building, which overlooks the lake, provides space for a rich programme of exhibitions, events, concerts and theatrical and dance performances, along with a variety of cultural initiatives and a packed programme of activities for young people and families.

The LAC is also home to the newly-created Museo d’arte della Svizzera italiana (MASI), formed by the merging between the Museo Cantonale d’Arte and the Museo d’Arte Lugano. Located over three floors, the gallery holds a permanent exhibition of Lugano and Cantone Ticino art collection, temporary exhibitions and site specific installations.

A new 1,000 seats concert and theatre hall, entirely wood-panelled and fitted with a special modular and removable acoustic shell, is ready for a varied programme of performances and concerts. The LAC is the main location for LuganoInScena and LuganoMusica (the new name of Lugano Festival) seasons as well as a home for the Compagnia Finzi Pasca and the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana. It is also involved with the seasonal concerts planned by Radiotelevisione Svizzera.

Visitors step into a large hall, designed to be a massive window that immediately minimizes the boundary between inside and outside. The Hall overlooks the new Piazza Bernardino Luini, the biggest square of Lugano, and it opens onto the lake, offering a stunning view.

The structure is completed by a few other important venues, such as the Teatrostudio, various multi-use rooms, the atelier and the Agorà. The spaces within the ancient Franciscan monastery have been restored as for the new public park, that now belongs to the LAC. The car park beneath the Piazza Luini is enriched by site-specific installations by Swiss artist Felice Varini.