David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center reopens after $550 million renovation
NEW YORK -- David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, home of the New York Philharmonic, reopened Saturday for the first time since 2020 after undergoing a $550 million renovation.
There's a new welcome center equipped with stations for refreshments and seating to purchase tickets. The lobby now has a large media display for concert information, artwork and digital messaging.
But as CBS2's Elijah Westbrook reports, the main attraction is the theater itself.
"I think we've created a theater space that is timeless and will be so important for New York for many, many years," saiad New York Philharmonic co-chairman Peter May.
By all accounts, the new space is grander with acoustics better than before. Plus, it's opening two years ahead of schedule, CBS2's Christina Fan reported.
Watch Christina Fan's report
The theater is slightly smaller than before, seating a little more than 2,000 people, but it's much more intimate. Seats now wrap around the stage, bringing the audience 30 percent closer to the performers.
It can also be reconfigured for different events - smaller for an ensemble or in different levels for an opera.
"It the most extraordinary acoustic. It sounds like nothing you've heard," said Lincoln Center CEO Henry Timms. "But it isn't just about how it sounds. It's also about what this building feels like. And surrounding this beautiful concert hall are so many public spaces that welcome people in new ways, and I'll give you one example. In our lobby, there is a 60-foot media wall which broadcasts, for free, whatever is on this stage down into the lobby. So you can come take a seat upstairs or you can bring the kids, bring a date, stop by, have a cup of coffee, have a chat with your friends, and you can see the New York Philharmonic for free in the lobby of David Geffen Hall."
Saturday's reopening celebration started with a ribbon cutting at noon followed by highly-anticipated public performances at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
It all culminates with a free Open House Weekend at the end of October featuring hundreds of artists.
David Geffen contributed $100 million to the renovation.
