The David Geffen Hall, the hall of the New York Philharmonic, will open next October, a year and a half before the scheduled date, after an extensive renovation in which 550 million dollars were invested and which was accelerated thanks to the closure caused by covid-19, the authorities announced this Wednesday.
“If one can think of a silver lining to this pandemic, which brought New York to the brink of disaster, (…) it is this extraordinary achievement that comes two years ahead of schedule thanks to the visionaries of the Philharmonic” New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said during an event.
The inauguration of this venue, which is part of the iconic Lincoln Center, has also fulfilled the budget that had been initially proposed, of 550 million dollars, and has been described as a sign that New York has returned to normal after becoming at the epicenter of the coronavirus in the spring of 2020.
“The new David Geffen Hall is a symbol that New York is back better than ever, and ready to welcome everyone,” said Lincoln Center Chairman of the Board Katherine Farley.
Initially, the renovation of the David Geffen had been planned in different phases over four years, so it was scheduled to be completed in March 2024, but the pandemic allowed the works to be carried out without interruptions.
The project has had as one of its objectives to improve the acoustics of the concert hall, something that according to the co-president of the New York Philharmonic, Peter May, has been more than achieved.
“One of the big problems is that the acoustics of the room were never considered good,” confessed May, who said that one of his main trumpeters has already gone to check if there was an improvement.
“Even with the scaffolding still in place, he came out saying he could really tell the difference, and the sound is amazing, so we’ve met our goals,” May said.
The reform project, which according to the authorities has led to the creation of 6,000 jobs, has also led to the creation of thousands of square meters of public space, where it is planned to offer shows and cultural events, most of them accessible gratuitous.