Sapporo Concert Hall 'Kitara'

The Sapporo Concert Hall, known as Kitara, sits inside the trees of Nakajima Park, recognizable by its massive, glass-walled foyer that reflects the surrounding pond and greenery. It opened in nineteen ninety-seven, designed specifically to house the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra with acoustics modeled after the best halls in Europe. During construction, workers discovered that the ground was too soft for such a heavy structure, so they installed enormous rubber bearings beneath the foundation to absorb vibrations from nearby train lines.