NEW YORK — The New York Philharmonic’s new home at Lincoln Center will open its doors in October — approximately two years earlier than anticipated.
Renovations to David Geffen Hall, which was slated to reopen in March 2024, will wrap up “ahead of schedule and on budget,” the Philharmonic and Lincoln Center said in a press release Wednesday.
What You Need To Know
- The New York Philharmonic’s new home at Lincoln Center will open its doors in October, approximately two years earlier than anticipated
- Renovations to David Geffen Hall, which was slated to reopen in March 2024, will wrap up “ahead of schedule and on budget,” the Philharmonic and Lincoln Center said in a press release
- The Philharmonic and Lincoln Center unveiled their plans to transform the hall on the Upper West Side into “one of the premiere concert halls in the world” back in December 2019
The Philharmonic and Lincoln Center unveiled their plans to transform the Upper West Side hall into “one of the premiere concert halls in the world” back in December 2019.
The announcement came amid the city’s efforts to lure tourists and visitors back to cultural institutions as it continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $550 million project includes a new concert hall with improved acoustics and accessibility, a more intimate seating arrangement and “state-of-the-art” HVAC systems, among other improvements, the release said.
The hall’s new lobby — set to measure twice the size of the old one — will house several seating areas, a bar, concessions and a 50-foot “digital stage” showcasing free live events and performances, along with visual art, according to the release.
A “Grand Promenade” will serve as the “center of activity in the hall’s public spaces.”
A publicly visible “sidewalk studio” at the southeast corner of West 65th Street and Broadway, meanwhile, will serve as a space for performances, rehearsals and gatherings, the release said.
The newly-renovated hall will also eventually house a restaurant and “patrons lounge,” the release added.
“The new David Geffen Hall will be NYC’s cultural hub, teeming with excitement from early morning to late at night — a place where New Yorkers will drop by just to see what’s happening, knowing they will find welcoming public spaces offering dynamic free entertainment, food, fun, art and culture in addition to the superb performances of the New York Philharmonic,” Katherine Farley, the chair of the Board of Directors at Lincoln Center, said in a statement.
In his own statement, Mayor Eric Adams said the opening of the hall would “show the world that New York City is back.”
“This new facility will truly be a cultural home for all New Yorkers — offering tens of thousands of feet of public space, even if you aren’t catching a show,” he added.