Cobar Sound Chapel

Magnificent sound installation in a small but somehow monumental feeling Glen Murcutt chapel. A little jewel. Had been there on a sunny day previously which was wonderful and very peaceful and went back recently at night. Awe inspiring looking up at the stars with powerful, mysterious, gorgeous, gripping music by George Lentz, more out there" at night and perhaps not for the faint hearted

This was an amazing discovery for us! Totally otherworldly sound and architecture artwork in the middle of nowhere. Gorgeous little concrete building by Glen Murcutt with amazing sound art by George Lentz, set inside a rusty old water tank full of graffiti. Connects to the land, the sky, the tough environment, the William Blake quote. Your gaze is drawn upwards through the golden opening to the open sky and the sound complements the feeling of loneliness and mystery. We drove back up there at night in total darkness and stood outside looking in. It was a totally different story - edgy, totally scary and otherworldly, but also massively loud, like the art talking to the stars. Possibly even better. What a place. We are from Sydney and my wife and I are very interested in the arts. Not for everyone though is my guess :-) Superb!PS. Aha just read Sound Chapel is new, hence we hadn’t heard of it on previous visits and drivethroughs :)

I was excited to come here but when we arrived another couple had informed us that we needed a key to get in and it was a $300 cash payment for the key which was given back to you when the key was returned. I was not told that by the information centre when I asked what to do in Cobar and they told me about this place. Also, who carries $300 cash these days? I would willingly give them my credit card number. I know the place has to be protected. The other people were told somebody had the key. So only one key available. Alas we got to see the outside. A tad disappointed.

I was super excited about visiting this installation, even planning upon meditating in the chapel. Alas, the music, which loops, is about as harsh as the surrounding landscape, which I suppose was the artistic co-creators' vision. If you find the sounds of metal scraping on metal, then this music style might appeal. I was deeply disappointed, as I had expected something more harmonious that would have highlighted the design of the space.What a let down!****************AddendumI received a reply to the above review a few weeks ago. It was from the curators of the CSC. They said something along the lines that they would now be playing more meditative music during the day and the above-mentioned coarse music at night. They asked me to adjust my review because of this, BUT, I cannot see this reply anymore, and wonder if I dreamt the whole experience. If they have, indeed, changed the music to a softer experience then I would definitely return to experience the acoustics one day. I appreciate that the curators would consider my preference also.

Incredible and unexpected in every way, like a temple to the outback. Was there in the middle of the day, sunshine streaming through the golden opening in the ceiling, beautiful. Amazing acoustic, amazing atmosphere. Amazing sounds or noises or music, amazing building. I sat there spellbound for over an hour with my eyes closed. Can you visit at nighttime? Pretty edgy though, so not sure it is for everyone. I was extremely impressed. Informative website too.

I found the Sound Chapel deeply moving — it brought tears to my eyes. Beyond the bold beauty of its envelope and inner spaces, it’s a memorable, immersive experience, both sonically and visually. At first sight, this is an old (circa 1901) rusty, steel water tank about 10 metres high. But all its elements, what you come to see and hear, gradually reveal themselves to the visitor with every step: from the understated approach along a dirt track to the elaborately graffitied outer skin of the old steel water tank, to the serene spaces of the inner sanctum, the Glenn Murcutt designed Chapel. It’s hard not to write extensively about the experience but here are some snippets.As we wandered around the old tank for the first time, we came to its stately, concrete entrance, with a set of steel gates within. This marks the departure from the old into the new, a five-metre high concrete cube within. And the soundscape composed by Georges Lentz unfolds. You could stay for hours and listen – it goes 24 hours non-stop. The soundscape deeply connects you to this inner sanctum. No particular genre, it doesn’t need to be because it’s an expression of the building, both its present and its past. Textured waves, silky at times, then intense, or haunting, even the silence is felt. We crunched our way around the encompassing gravel path, leaving our own sonic traces; the steel of the tank makes a superb sonic chamber — inviting echos. Visits are private — you are there alone, so it's hard to resist some interplay.The Sound Chapel is a unique structure in itself, a celebration of musical, architectural and engineering thinking; an acknowledgment of history, the importance of water in outback life — and how European settlers designed structures to store it, of other structures that express spirituality, of times changing, of seasons changing, and of day changing into night. These are things to contemplate if you wish, or just enjoy being there!We were able to return at different times of the day, at dusk and in the later evening to get a sense of the whole sonic movement and the play of light through cleverly designed apertures of the chapel – like the open dome of the roof. But it is worth a visit even if all you have is 5 minutes.The Sound Chapel is truly a worthy recipient of the 2023 National Trust Award for Adaptive Re-use. Congratulations to Glenn and Georges for this inspiring project. We need more collaborations like this between composers and architects to celebrate past and present. Engaging with placemaking, caring for the old while creating the new, is such an important way of enlivening history, and architecture and music can very much be united in this respect. Thank you to all concerned in this project!The chapel stands on the traditional lands of the Wongaibon people.

Such an awesome opportunity to visit the Cobar Sound Chapel. Really enjoyed the peacefulness and beauty of the landscape that surrounds an amazing piece of architecture that sits within the landscape. A place

Poorly sign posted, not a lot of information about it but beautiful views and the inside looks lovely. Can hear the sound inside but can't access it because it is locked. To open it you need to get a key from the Cobar museum during opening hours

A simple gravel path leads to the rusted bronzed and golden antique water tank.The entry is elegant, understated and intriguing.Inside the chapel is an immersive multi-sensory experience.The music is both mystical and monumentalwith subtlety, complexity and power that can transport listeners from the presentto the vastness of deep time past and on into the immensity of the future.For me it was an intensely beautiful experience.We will come again!

Unique and mesmerising. Getting inner access through the Visitors Centre is easy, but even after hours its a beautiful combination of music, art, architecture and the outback.