Music's Healing Power - Giant inflatable concert hall brings music to tsunami-torn Japan Ark Nova to hold inaugural concert next month in Matsushima

An inflatable purple concert hall is set to embark on a tour of Japan, beginning with one of the country's most devastated areas. The mobile structure, known as Ark Nova, was designed by British sculptor Anish Kapoor and Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, and will host its inaugural event on October 12th in Matsushima — a coastal town in northeast Japan that was ravaged by a 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Ark Nova was created with support from the Switzerland-based Lucerne Festival, and will host musical performances from international orchestras, as well as traditional Japanese concerts. Widely referred to as the world's first inflatable concert hall, the structure consists of a large purple membrane that can be quickly inflated and deflated for easy transportation, and can accommodate up to 700 people. Wood from cedar trees at a local temple in Matsushima were also used in the hall's seats and acoustic materials (the town is known for its cedar tree islands).