New Concert Venue In Zurich

A live entertainment venue has to be “cost and time efficient,” according to Frey. “All possible layouts of the hall, visitor flows, and possible wishes of tour managers have to be thought trough before building the venue.”

The modular design of the venue facilitates a quick configuration for 1,000 to 5,000 guests, depending on whether there’s a concert, convention, theater or banquet happening.

Up to three trucks fit inside the hall for simultaneous loading and direct stage access.

“We try to make visiting our venue as easy as possible for our customers and guests,” he said. “We installed technical gadgets that speed up the setup process. We for example chose the sound equipment according to international touring riders so that some tours don’t even have to bring their own equipment.”

That includes 13 K2 speakers by L-Acoustic on each side. The stage itself is hydraulic (up to 2 meters) and segmented, the rigging is remote controlled via 55 moveable chain hoists. Frey emphasized that “it is not mandatory to use our technical equipment, it’s an offer.”

He explained that the expectations of clients have changed. “Live entertainment is no longer about sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll. Artists, agents and managers have detailed requirements regarding artist and audience security.”

Catering will be in-house. The vegan lifestyle of many artists amounts to “a demanding catering rider. Eco-friendliness, a clean footprint etc. are important too. The requirement of the venue is more that of a hotel, where guests check in and are taken care of.”

The official opening of Samsung Hall with exclusively Swiss acts is on Jan. 27. But there’ll be a teaser in form of a piano concert by Ludovico Einaudi on Dec. 14.