A revamp inside one of America’s most important cultural venues is ready to debut two years ahead of schedule (and reportedly on budget) after the project team behind Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall in Manhattan announced an October 8th public opening date on Tuesday.

NYC's redesigned new "cultural living room" is the product of a collaboration between cultural sector heavyweights Diamond Schmitt Architects and Tod Williams Billie Tsien (TWBTA), noted acoustician Paul Scarbrough of Akustiks, and theater design specialist Joshua Dachs of Fisher Dachs Associates. 

The project's scope includes an acoustical and seating arrangement overhaul of the New York Philharmonic's main Wu Tsai Theater performance space, the creation of a new restaurant and 1,680-square-foot Welcome Center, new multipurpose Sidewalk Studios, and the reconfiguration of public spaces around the building that was originally designed by Max Abramovitz in 1962. 

Video courtesy of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

"This is our city. We wanted to capture in our design for the public spaces the glamour, beauty, energy and many voices of this amazing place," architect Billie Tsien said in a statement. "Color and emotion rules all — as Tod says, it's not beige."

Diamond Schmitt Architects was responsible for much of the main hall, while TWBTA took care of the accompanying public spaces. Performers and audience members alike will enjoy a new program defined by optimized sightlines, sonic improvements, an extended stage, enhanced accessibility, added concessions options, and an improved intimacy that was accomplished by reducing the overall number of seats by about 500. A 60% increase in bathroom facilities provided added comfort as well. 

The Diamond Schmitt team shares that the main portion of the project was inspired by so-called Vineyard Style theater seating configurations. The architects removed the proscenium to create a barrier-free dynamic between the performers and the 2,200-seat audience, dissolving what they call "rigid hierarchies between tiers." This is added to by restructuring the stage area itself to include a more flexible parterre seating that allows for 360-degree views of the theater. Finally, beechwood panels wrap the Hall's interior to provide improved reverberation, bass, and sound differentiation for the performers.

Outside the Hall will be a social condenser starting with the southeastern-oriented Welcome Center, which melds into the 12,500-square-foot new LeFrak Family Lobby that features a 42 million-pixel high-resolution programmable dynamic display and has been doubled in size as the result of the removal of its box office and ticketing booths. A Grand Promenade has also been recontextualized on the upper floors, anchored by a central black granite bar and bookended by two promontories that overlook the lobby to provide views of Broadway and even more social spaces for concertgoers. 

The TWBTA production is finished off with two additional enhancements: The Sidewalk Studio, which was created by moving existing offices to the top of the building, will serve as a multipurpose performance and community gathering space that can host a wide variety of arts activities. This is followed by the new 3,000-square-foot Tatiana restaurant, which will feature Afro-Caribbean fare from chef Kwame Onwuachi. Double-heighted new Patron’s Longue and Music Box social spaces are also included in the northeast and northwest corners of the plaza.

"The new Wu Tsai Theater will be transformational for the New York Philharmonic and Lincoln Center, both in in the intimacy that the redesigned hall offers as well as the high degree of artistic flexibility permitted by the variable stage configurations," Diamond Schmitt Principal Gary McCluskie said in a press statement. "The design’s surround hall approach honors the acoustic benefits of a shoebox, while embodying a new model of sound that maintains power, depth, and intimacy in equal measures. The design works in concert with the back of house and public spaces within our master plan to bring inviting, accessible, and human-driven spaces to the people of New York and the world."