Designed by esteemed architect Moshe Safdie, the stunning Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is marked by its shell-shaped exterior and all-glass walls. Inside the 285,00-square-foot space are two acoustically perfect theaters, designed to host everything from dance and theater to music, opera, and even comedy. Opened to the public in 2011, the venue serves as the home of the Kansas City Ballet, the Kansas City Symphony, and the Lyric Opera, meaning there’s always something to see here. Catch a show, then head into the surrounding Crossroads Arts District, where you’ll find tons of restaurants, bars, galleries, and boutiques.
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KC's Masterpiece of Architecture and Music
Completed in 2011, the Moshe Safdie-designed Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is the most visually stunning and acoustically perfect music venue in the country. The Center is a glass and stainless steel shell over two distinct theaters, with a glass wall facing downhill into the Crossroads neighborhood—creating the impression that you’re not inside the venue as much as standing in the city. As the New York Times wrote, no performing arts center “seems to relish its location so much, to be so proud of the city it shows off.” My friends and I once shared drinks with a tenor flown in for the solo in Beethoven’s 9th, and he told us that, inside the industry, Kauffman is where the best musicians in the world are clamoring to play.
