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NEWS
Diamond Schmitt and TWBTA reveal new Geffen Hall revamp plans
POSTED 05 Dec 2019 . BY Stu Robarts
The project will see the creation of a more intimate performance venue with improved acoustics Credit: Diamond Schmitt & TWBTA

The auditorium is recalibrated to deliver improved sightlines, audience comfort, and superb acoustics from every seat in the house.
– Gary McCluskie
The New York Philharmonic has unveiled plans for the revamp of David Geffen Hall with Diamond Schmitt and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects (TWBTA) designs aimed at fostering a sense of community and connecting it to the world outside.

The $550m (€496m, £418m) project was initially to be led by Heatherwick Studio before those plans were dropped.

The new plans will see Diamond Schmitt reconfigure the concert hall, which is based at New York's Lincoln Center, while 2019 Praemium Imperiale prize winners TWBTA will develop the public spaces.

The project will see the creation of a more intimate performance venue with improved acoustics and flexibility for presenting orchestra concerts, solo performances, multimedia presentations and movie screenings.

The hall's proscenium will be removed to create a more unified space, with the stage moved 25ft (8m) closer to the audience and seating wrapped around it.

Seating capacity will actually be reduced by 500 seats to 2,200, but a steeper rake will be introduced at the orchestra level to improve acoustics and sightlines.

Natural wood and curvilinear forms will contribute to a "contemporary, sculpted design".

Gary McCluskie, principal architect at Diamond Schmitt, said: "The new concert hall will be intimate, immersive, and adaptable to host a range of performances of classical compositions and innovative programming. The auditorium is recalibrated to deliver improved sightlines, audience comfort, and superb acoustics from every seat in the house."

The public spaces, meanwhile, will be reworked to provide better opportunities for people to gather and connect.

The main lobby will double in size and have a media streaming wall installed for showing concerts and events in real-time.

There will be a new Welcome Center for the public and a reconfigured Grand Promenade will be able to host up to 1,000 people at events.

There will also be a new restaurant and a new studio space for educational, artistic and community activities.

Tod Williams, co-founder of TWBTA, said: "By reorganizing and reconceiving the concert hall and its public spaces, the interiors of David Geffen Hall will be unified and invigorated. The result will be an experience that is warm, captivating, and exciting."

The new hall is scheduled to open in March 2024, with two closures from May 2022 to October 2022 and from May 2023 to February 2024.
The public spaces will be reworked to provide better opportunities for people to gather and connect Credit: Diamond Schmitt & TWBTA
RELATED STORIES
  New York's Lincoln Center scraps US$500m Heatherwick and Diamond Schmitt renovation


Plans by Heatherwick Studio and Diamond Schmitt Architects to renovate a concert hall for New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts have been dropped.
  Heatherwick Studio to lead US$500m redesign of New York concert hall


Following a two-year competition involving more than 100 leading architecture and design firms, Heatherwick Studio and Diamond Schmitt Architects have been selected to reimagine and renovate a concert hall for New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
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NEWS
Diamond Schmitt and TWBTA reveal new Geffen Hall revamp plans
POSTED 05 Dec 2019 . BY Stu Robarts
The project will see the creation of a more intimate performance venue with improved acoustics Credit: Diamond Schmitt & TWBTA
The auditorium is recalibrated to deliver improved sightlines, audience comfort, and superb acoustics from every seat in the house.
– Gary McCluskie
The New York Philharmonic has unveiled plans for the revamp of David Geffen Hall with Diamond Schmitt and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects (TWBTA) designs aimed at fostering a sense of community and connecting it to the world outside.

The $550m (€496m, £418m) project was initially to be led by Heatherwick Studio before those plans were dropped.

The new plans will see Diamond Schmitt reconfigure the concert hall, which is based at New York's Lincoln Center, while 2019 Praemium Imperiale prize winners TWBTA will develop the public spaces.

The project will see the creation of a more intimate performance venue with improved acoustics and flexibility for presenting orchestra concerts, solo performances, multimedia presentations and movie screenings.

The hall's proscenium will be removed to create a more unified space, with the stage moved 25ft (8m) closer to the audience and seating wrapped around it.

Seating capacity will actually be reduced by 500 seats to 2,200, but a steeper rake will be introduced at the orchestra level to improve acoustics and sightlines.

Natural wood and curvilinear forms will contribute to a "contemporary, sculpted design".

Gary McCluskie, principal architect at Diamond Schmitt, said: "The new concert hall will be intimate, immersive, and adaptable to host a range of performances of classical compositions and innovative programming. The auditorium is recalibrated to deliver improved sightlines, audience comfort, and superb acoustics from every seat in the house."

The public spaces, meanwhile, will be reworked to provide better opportunities for people to gather and connect.

The main lobby will double in size and have a media streaming wall installed for showing concerts and events in real-time.

There will be a new Welcome Center for the public and a reconfigured Grand Promenade will be able to host up to 1,000 people at events.

There will also be a new restaurant and a new studio space for educational, artistic and community activities.

Tod Williams, co-founder of TWBTA, said: "By reorganizing and reconceiving the concert hall and its public spaces, the interiors of David Geffen Hall will be unified and invigorated. The result will be an experience that is warm, captivating, and exciting."

The new hall is scheduled to open in March 2024, with two closures from May 2022 to October 2022 and from May 2023 to February 2024.
The public spaces will be reworked to provide better opportunities for people to gather and connect Credit: Diamond Schmitt & TWBTA
RELATED STORIES
New York's Lincoln Center scraps US$500m Heatherwick and Diamond Schmitt renovation


Plans by Heatherwick Studio and Diamond Schmitt Architects to renovate a concert hall for New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts have been dropped.
Heatherwick Studio to lead US$500m redesign of New York concert hall


Following a two-year competition involving more than 100 leading architecture and design firms, Heatherwick Studio and Diamond Schmitt Architects have been selected to reimagine and renovate a concert hall for New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
MORE NEWS
London Museum makes destination dining part of the attraction
London Museum will open four new food and drink destinations when it launches its new home at Smithfield on 28 November, making hospitality a central part of the visitor experience at one of the capital's biggest cultural openings of the year.
OMA completes New Museum transformation with landmark expansion and Oberon restaurant
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance, hospitality and public programming.
David Rockwell creates immersive magic destination, The Hand and The Eye
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and private membership under one roof.
Montana Heritage Center opens with immersive exhibits and US$107 million investment
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana Heritage Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
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Clip 'n Climb

Clip ‘n Climb currently offers facility owners and investors more than 40 colourful and unique Cha [more...]
TechnoAlpin Indoor

TechnoAlpin is the world leader for snowmaking systems. With the Indoor snow division, TechnoAlpin c [more...]
Polin Waterparks

Polin was founded in Istanbul in 1976. Polin has since grown into a leading company in the waterpa [more...]
instantprint

We’re a Yorkshire-based online printer, founded in 2009 by Adam Carnell and James Kinsella. [more...]
+ More profiles  
CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  
DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
28-29 Sep 2026

Wellness Destination AI Tech Summit – Tourism, Hospitality & Real Estate, 28-29 Sept 2026

Grand Ballroom, METT Singapore, Singapore
+ More diary  
 


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Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

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