Los Angeles is full of architectural wonders; the most famous among them is Walt Disney Concert Hall, the cultural centerpiece of the city. It was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry with his famous use of curvaceous metallic surfaces. It is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and a memorial to the Walt Disney family's vision.
It started with the $50 million donation of Lilian Disney in honor of her late husband, Walt Disney. Several years after, in 1994, due to political and managerial problems, the project was shut down. It was continued by a fund-raising campaign and was completed in October 2003 with an estimated total cost of $774 million.
The exterior curves were originally intended in stone, but as budgets tightened, it was changed to stainless steel with a matte finish. The thin metal panels gave more curvature and could be structurally unattached from the ground. The Founder’s Room and Children’s Amphitheater were initially designed with polished mirror-like panels, but it was altered due to glare caused by sunlight reflections. Neighbors complained of rise in the air-conditioning costs and also increased traffic accidents due to bright sunlight reflections. The panels were then dulled by sanding.
The external form appeared like a boat with wet sails. It is said that there are no 2 equal parts, each has a unique form, you see a different one at varied angles of the building.
See how the sunlight was reflected beautifully (not blinding) on the panels and the curvatures.
The Interior
The design of the building's interior looks like the hull of a boat. The interior is lined with Douglas fir woods and large fir columns that were strategically placed and installed to cover the wirings and housing for the lighting, heating, and air conditioning systems of the concert hall.
Glass fissures in the facade and skylights bring light into the lobby and pre-concert area. Frank Gehry’s team visualized the lobby as a transparent and light-filled room. Sourse A natural lighting source.
The Concert Hall
The concert hall was designed as a single volume, where the orchestra and audience occupy the same space. The organ stands at the front of the hall, with a bunch of 6,134 curved pipes which looked like French fries. Gehry worked with Manuel J. Rosales for the organ's design and with Yasuhisa Toyota, a renowned acoustician, for the acoustics.SourceIt is one of the best concert halls in the world.
The hall is off-limits to visitors unless you have a ticket to watch a performance.
The Garden
Atop the Walt Disney Concert Hall is an outdoor public garden. It is named Blue Ribbon Garden. The plants and flowers provide an oasis for the concert-goers and those just visiting downtown Los Angeles. There are also benches to rest the weary feet while enjoying the beautiful scenery.
This concludes our trip to see this architectural landmark. It was all worth the one-hour drive (including traffic). Thanks for the read! Till the next one.
[//]:# (!pinmapple 34.042694 lat -118.227712 long walt disney concert hall d3scr)