Architects & Design Team: Diamond Schmitt; Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners
Main Contractor: Turner Construction
Photo Credits: Max Touhey
Materials Used: Beech Wood Panels, S4S Lumber Custom Nosing, Engineered White Oak Flooring
When it comes to culture and the arts, few locations can offer the sheer variety and heritage of Manhattan.
Within its 59 square kilometers, there are countless historic theatres, museums, exhibition spaces and concert halls – one of the most famous being Lincoln Center, which is home to the New York City Ballet, the Metropolitan Opera, the Juillard School and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
The latter resides at David Geffen Hall, an iconic 2,000-seater auditorium first designed in 1962 by Max Abramovitz to offer an immersive acoustic experience befitting of such a world-renowned institution.
Over the years, the Geffen Hall has undergone various renovations – the most recent being a $550M project unveiled in 2022, in which WoodCo was honored to play a part.
In pursuit of perfection
At the heart of this project was a desire to resolve various acoustical challenges that had persisted since the Hall was first built.
Under pressure to compete with nearby Carnegie Hall in terms of capacity, Abramovitz had made some changes to the shape and layout of his original design, which resulted in complaints from critics that Geffen Hall’s acoustics were lacking in reverberation and bass warmth, and plagued by echoes at the back of the Hall.
Attempts to improve the situation over subsequent decades were largely unsuccessful – as soon as one acoustic problem was resolved, another would surface, and as the interior became increasingly dated, the Hall was increasingly criticized for the overall quality of the audience experience.
Less is more
For its most recent renovation, architects and acousticians embarked on a more holistic approach; the Hall was gutted, with 500 seats being eliminated, along with the proscenium. The stage was pulled 25 feet forward, with seating stretched around it, the space now dominated by acres of honey-colored wood, creating a feeling of visual and acoustic harmony that was once lacking.
The walls of the concert hall are clad in beech wood panels that were sculpted to reverberate sound to better render the orchestra's performance. The undulating wood panels are inspired by the mathematical shapes of sound waves, reflecting and diffusing the sound.
"The design's surround hall approach honors the acoustic benefits of a shoe box auditorium, while embodying a new model of sound that maintains power, depth, and intimacy in equal measures," said Gary McCluskie, principal at Diamond Schmitt Architects.
A vast space made intimate
By matching the look and feel of the wood cladding to the floor, the design team aimed to create a unified look for the space that balances out its long, narrow shape, transforming a cavernous rectilinear shoebox into a curvilinear unified room with superb acoustics and optimized sightlines, fostering an intimate connection between audience and performers.
We worked closely with the contractor at Woodworks Construction to deliver a custom solution, precisely color matched to the other wood elements in the space and designed to provide many years of durable performance for this iconic venue.
We provided engineered clear grade rift & quartered white oak flooring, 5/8” thick by x 4” wide, prefinished and color matched to their specifications, plus a small section of unfinished flooring to match the prefinished spec, that had to be custom fabricated on site.
We also provided custom stair parts to match the floor, including solid, clear grade rift and quartered white oak veneers for the stair risers – these were supplied unfinished due to the complexity of the installation, and were subsequently finished on site.
Lastly, we supplied lengths of S4S Lumber (5/8” x 5” x 4-10ft) prefinished to match the flooring, which was used for custom curved nosings in the curved seating areas.
A resounding success
The overall effect is one of being cocooned in an undulating cavern of wood, punctuated by soft furnishings that are also inspired by floral motifs, reinforcing the warm, inviting nature of the space. As for the acoustics, reviews so far have been encouraging – critics have reported a vast improvement in the bass and reverberations, as well as an enhanced visual experience that makes Geffen Hall feel significantly more in tune with the expectations of a modern audience.
Got a bespoke architectural project coming up?
With over two decades of experience sourcing and custom manufacturing architectural wood floors, stair parts, wall cladding and other wood elements for commercial spaces, including highly technical projects like this one, WoodCo is ideally placed to meet the needs of your next project. Get in touch today to discuss your vision.
