Lincoln Center, David Geffen Hall

Overview

A cultural landmark and the home of the New York Philharmonic, the reimagined David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center features modernized performance and public spaces. Designed by Max Abramovitz in the early 1960s, the travertine-and-glass structure had been partially renovated in the 1970s and 1990s in attempts to mitigate acoustical concerns.

We provided structural design and connection engineering services to the Lincoln Center Development Project for the latest renovation of David Geffen Hall, which addresses acoustical issues in a reshaped concert hall designed by Diamond Schmitt and reconfigured public spaces designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects.

The renovated hall has been transformed from a rectilinear box to a curvilinear space. The proscenium was eliminated, and the stage was brought forward 25 feet to create a more intimate setting between the performers and audience. Public space upgrades include a new entrance, reconfigured main lobby and improved vertical circulation.

Highlights

• Sensitive and surgical interventions into the existing fabric allow for a highly integrated, efficient structure to dramatically extend and refurbish the spaces while preserving their historic character and acoustic performance.
• Careful detailing of the new structure allowed a new “Sidewalk Studio” space dedicated to classes, lectures and small performances to be created in the north-east corner of the plaza floor. This is intended to support the community’s need for quality education and create continuing learning opportunities, but also be a new cultural hub where different types of art beyond music can be expressed.
• Our in-house structural steel detailers created an early Tekla structural steel detailing model that was later transferred to the structural steel fabricator to produce shop drawings and fabricate components.
• Dealing with an existing structure and fitting the ideal architectural, theatrical and acoustical scenarios within these boundaries was a key challenge for our design team. However, ingenuity in creative structural solutions and constant communication with both client and consultants were key to the success of this complex and challenging project.