The new music theatre is a spectacle in its own right – especially at night, when the interior is fully exposed to the city. As is common in designs by UNStudio, the layout is informed by a topological figure – a spiral in this case. The building’s reinforced concrete skeleton twists and, because columns were unnecessary, causes spaces to merge into one another. Musical metaphors played a key role in the design.

The music theatre of the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria, is not only a theatre to see but also one to be seen. The circular movement of the structural core of the building makes spaces flow together and blend, like a spiral symbolising rhythm and continuity.