The Re-Imagined David Geffen Hall
“The new David Geffen Hall building, with its greater audience intimacy, flexible acoustics, and variable stage configurations, will enable us to diversify our programming presentations to reflect our 21st-century musical world. This project marks an exciting new chapter in New York’s musical and artistic life, one that will brightly illuminate the future and the sublime creations from the past.”
Jane Moss, Ehrenkranz Artistic Director, Lincoln Center
David Geffen Hall, home to New York’s Philharmonic, at Lincoln Centre is more than a music hall. It’s a cultural landmark. At its core, a concert hall has, through the years, celebrated memorable moments, hosting notable performers and patrons.
Designed originally by Max Abromovitz in 1962, the hall has gone under multiple renovations over the decades. These efforts have attempted to address the—still unresolved—acoustical challenges. However, re-imagined, and set to open in 2024, the new David Geffen Hall will offer an immersive experience. Highly flexible and future-oriented, it will accommodate both orchestra initiatives and experimental performances.
A collaborative architectural project, the transformation is driven by a forward-thinking leadership and a team of design experts. As the designers of the concert hall, we have employed a single-room concept, eliminating the proscenium to foster an intimate connection between patrons and performers. We have also restored the modernist features, but turned the rectilinear shoebox space into a curvilinear music hall fit for the 21st century. The shell of the building will remain intact; the Concert Hall and its public spaces, however, will be ushered into the contemporary era—complete with improved infrastructure, increased versatility, and superb acoustics.
| Client | Lincoln Center and New York Philharmonic |
| Completion | 2024 |
| Public Space Collaboration | Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Architects |
| Images | Courtesy of Lincoln Center and New York Philharmonic |
| Team |
See full project team
Sherri Catt
Nick Duch Mehdi Ghiyaei Emre Goktay Simge Goktay Valerie Gomez Oliver Hellmuth Stephanie Huss Matthew Lella Liheng Li Michael Lukasik Christiano Mahler Gary McCluskie Maya Orzechowska Graeme Reed Matthew Schmid Donald Schmitt Nigel Tai Joe Tang Michael Treacy Jose Trinidad Sybil Wa Russell Wooten Coco Xiong Albert Yu Wei Zhao |
