LA: The Walt Disney Concert Hall
I finally got my tourist on and visited the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA. Designed by famed architect Frank Gehry with money from Lillian Disney, the Walt Disney Concert Hall (WDCH) is one of those buildings you drive by and say "WHOA what is that?!", or at least that's what I said -- my bf didn't notice it until the 4th time he drove by it. Covered in stainless steel on the exterior, the WDCH looks to me like a shiny alien spaceship that landed in the middle of downtown LA. [Photo Credit]
Since I am only staying a few blocks away, I decided to walk like a sensible New Yorker to avoid the traffic and expensive parking. All I have to say about that is that this city is NOT made for walking. Upon my sweaty arrival, I decided to take a self-guided audio tour of the hall. They also have guided tours available at certain times (check calendar). On the day I visited, there was no practice going on, so I even got the see the inside of the auditorium!
Here are some highlights from the tour with photos!
The exterior of the building was supposed to be stone, but everyone loved Gehry's Guggenheim in Spain so much that they convinced him to build this one in stainless steel too.
Frank Gehry's original sketch
The main entrance
They used this aerospace design software called CATIA to translate Gehry's design into specific dimensions of each piece of stainless steel for the outside
Detail of the exterior -- all those pieces of steel! [Photo Credit]
This scaffolding is what's holding it all up
The interior is covered almost all in this beautiful light wood (Douglas fir). Gehry said he chose this type of wood b/c it resembles the wood used for musical instruments
The interior of the rehearsal room was covered in this punctuated wood
The carpet inside and the seats in the auditorium are in this floral pattern because Gehry knew that Lillian Disney loved flowers (personally not a big fan though...)
There is a beautiful garden on the 3rd floor -- loved the rose fountain dedicated to Lillian Disney
It's a rose for Lilly!
I really enjoyed seeing the concert hall and hearing the purpose behind the architectural choices. You guys should stop by if you're in the area or visiting! All tours are free and there is no admission charge.
Have any of you visited the WDCH before or seen a show there? What did you think? Or has anyone visited Frank Gehry's other masterpieces? I'd really love to see the Guggenheim in Spain and his home in Santa Monica!
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The Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(323) 850-2000