Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, California, is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center and was designed by Frank Gehry. It was opened on October 23, 2003. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Avenue, and 1st and 2nd Streets, it seats 2,265 people and serves, among other purposes, as the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. The hall is a compromise between a vineyard-style seating configuration, like the Berliner Philharmonie by Hans Scharoun,[1] and a classical shoebox design like the Vienna Musikverein or the Boston Symphony Hall.[2]
Location
111 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Reserved
2,265
1999–2003
October 23, 2003
$130 million (plus $110 million for parking garage)
Lillian Disney made an initial gift of $50 million in 1987 to build a performance venue as a gift to the people of Los Angeles and a tribute to Walt Disney's devotion to the arts and to the city. Both Gehry's architecture and the acoustics of the concert hall, designed by Minoru Nagata,[3] the final completion supervised by Nagata's assistant and protege Yasuhisa Toyota,[4] have been praised, in contrast to its predecessor, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.[5]
Design[edit]
The Walt Disney Concert Hall was designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. Despite being a well-accomplished architect at the time of design, Gehry found himself an unlikely candidate for the job when the Disney family was looking for the hall's designer. Even with the location of the Walt Disney Concert Hall set to be in his hometown of Los Angeles, California, Gehry, when discussing his thoughts at the time the architect was selected, said, "it was the least likely thing that I thought would ever happen to me in my life".[6] Gehry's opinion was supported by the representative of the Disney family. Gehry says he was told, "that under no circumstances would Walt Disney's name be on any buildings that I design".[6] Much of this doubt came from Gehry's reputation for relying on the use of cheap materials in his architecture that were used in unconventional ways. With the Walt Disney Concert Hall being a project that demanded a high budget and an elegant style, Gehry did not seem like the right candidate for the job. However, Gehry's determination landed him the job of designing the hall, as he produced a design that caught the eye of Walt Disney's widow, Lilian.[6] His design included some of the elements of the deconstructivist architecture that he was known for, while still producing an elegant structure.
Restaurant[edit]
The concert hall houses Ray Garica's Astrid with collaborations with levy restaurants which offer other dining options throughout The Music Center complex.
Panoramic view of Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles
Walt Disney Concert Hall at sunset June 2013
View from opposite corner of Grand Ave and 2nd Street
Detail near entrance
Detail from the inner atrium
Viewed at night
Viewed looking north
Partial view
Main entrance at night
The exterior in winter 2007
Viewed from satellite
Detail atop main entrance
During construction in May 2001
During construction in May 2001
