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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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Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK. 
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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
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while remaining actively involved with the company.
Rainer Maelzer joins Therme Group as chief entertainment officer
Rainer Maelzer, an experiential entertainment innovator, has been appointed chief entertainment officer by Therme Group.
Movie Park Germany reveals new Paramount attraction as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK. 
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COMPANY PROFILES
IDEATTACK

IDEATTACK is a full-service planning and design company with headquarters in Los Angeles. [more...]
Polin Waterparks

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

RMA Ltd is a one-stop global company that can design, build and produce from a greenfield site upw [more...]
ProSlide Technology, Inc.

A former national ski team racer, ProSlide® CEO Rick Hunter’s goal has been to integrate the smoot [more...]
+ More profiles  
FEATURED SUPPLIER

Iconic Liverpool attraction opens door to new operators
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its next phase. [more...]
CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  
DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

09-11 Jun 2026

World Sauna Forum 2026

Savutuvan Apaja, Haapaniemi, Finland
23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
+ More diary  
 


ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026

ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
LEISURE MEDIA MAGAZINES
LEISURE MEDIA HANDBOOKS
LEISURE MEDIA WEBSITES
LEISURE MEDIA PRODUCT SEARCH
ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT NEWS
ATTRACTIONS HANDBOOK
PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS
FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS