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Click
on images for larger views. [Google Earth link]
One component of the renovation of the the Lincoln
Center for the Performing Arts in Manhattan's Upper West
Side, designed by Diller
Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) in collaboration with FxFowle
Architects, is Alice Tully Hall, what the design architects
call "a good multi-purpose hall for chamber music, film,
dance and theater...imperfect for any particular use.*"
Their task is to improve the acoustics of the hall for a focus
as an "intimate" chamber music venue and reveal
the theater that has languished behind stone walls for so
many years.
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By clicking on the image at left,
one can see how the exterior renovation envisioned by the
architects -- currently under construction -- compares to
the old stone edifice facing Broadway. While the architects
preserve the effect of an outdoor space created by the cantilevered
upper floors, they achieve this by extending the building
towards Broadway (floor plans)
and creating a glassed-in lobby space where the wood walls
of the theater are visible to passers-by. |
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In effect, DS+R manage to achieve
a lot by reducing costs associated with demolition and potentially
improving the outdoor public space by making it more active,
with bleachers, interactive displays, and the spillover from
the lobby space. But it is inside that the subtle design skills
of DS+R are apparent. They contend that with the preservation
of all 1,100 seats the design
had to take place "within 18 inches" of the existing.
Their solution is an undulating
wood wall with sections illuminated
via a veneer/resin assembly
developed specifically for the hall. This allows for continuity
of surface, a design free of visible light fixtures, and the
ability to achieve gradients of brightness at different times
and for different effects. |
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DS+R's design is a supreme balancing
act of public outdoor space and semi-public theater. While
the focus is clearly on the latter, it is the former that
will be seen and experienced the most by the city's residents
and visitors. The decision to "expose" the theater's
wood hall illustrates the bridging of these two realms and
considerations.
*Quotes from Diller +
Scofidio (+ Renfro): The Ciliary Function by Guido
Incerti, Daria Ricchi, and Deane Simpson. |
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Click
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