Rendering of the interior of the renovated David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. Image: Diamond Schmitt Architects
“Gone are the mustard-colored seats and shoe box interior of David Geffen Hall, the New York Philharmonic’s home at Lincoln Center,” writes Javier C. Hernández in Wednesday’s (3/9) New York Times. “When the hall reopens this fall, wavy beech wood will wrap around the stage—and so will the audience, in seats upholstered in richly colored patterns…. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, paralyzing the performing arts, the orchestra and center seized on the long shutdown to accelerate a planned makeover of Geffen Hall, gutting its main theater and reimagining its public spaces. Now the long-delayed overhaul is almost complete. The project’s leaders announced on Wednesday that they had raised their goal of $550 million to cover the cost of the renovation, and that the hall will reopen to the public in October, a year and a half ahead of schedule…. Deborah Borda, the Philharmonic’s president and chief executive, said … ‘The whole space is transformed….’ With 2,200 seats (down from 2,738 in the old hall), Geffen will have a more intimate feel—and, if all goes as planned, improved acoustics. The project’s leaders hope the renovated hall will help galvanize New York’s performing arts scene during a difficult time.”
