By: Dan Johnson1

• In 2010 the World Architecture Survey labeled him on of the "most

important contemporary architect of our time".7

• In the same year Vanity Fair labeled him "the most important architect

of our age".7

• His work has a "spirit of experimentation coupled with a respect for

the demands of professional practice".7

• Not really aligned with any architectural styles or movements.7

6

(Google Earth)

(Google Earth)

The establishment of a Concert

Hall originally began in 1987

when Lilian Disney donated

$50 million in honor of her late

husband.5 A year later, Frank

Gehry was selected during the

design competition but

mismanagement and politics,

the project didn't really start

until 1996.5 Finished in 2003

for $275 million.5

Capturing the motion of Los Angeles, and representing

musical movement, Gehry created an exterior composed

of curvelinear forms that seem to dance both on and

above the site.55

5

(Google Earth)

(Google Earth)

Ahmanson Theatre

Disney Concert Hall was completed and became part of the Los Angeles California's performing district on

October 23rd 2003.5 The home of the LA Philharmonic, it has become widely well known for its unique

architectural form and its excellent acoustics.5

Mark Taper Forum

Los Angeles Opera

Disney Concert Hall

The douglas fir tree like sculptural forms rising through the lobby were inspired by Lilian Disney's love for

gardens.5

The skylight in the lower lobby space draws patrons from the

parking below.58

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This pre-concert space is used for chamber concerts and talks.5

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The steel structure used in the roof eliminates the need for columns within the hall.5 The curved billowing ceiling and

partitions become part of the acoustical system and help relate the interior to the sculptural language of the exterior.5

Designed as one large volume, the

auditorium allows the occupants to be

in the same space as the orchestra.

This allows for a sense of intimacy

within the hall.5 Designed as a "shoe

box design" with vertical "vineyard"

seating along the sides of the

orchestra.3

5

5

8

• 80ft(H)x120ft(W)x180(L)

• 21,000 sq. Ft.

• 2,300 seats

• 9.15 sq. ft. per seat.

Stage level (second) Orchestra level (third) Terrace level (forth)

Vertical Circulation to Garage Below

Audience Circulation

Performer CirculationCIRCULATION

888

Playroom

60'

170'

80'

ACOUSTIC DIAGRAM

8

A 1:10 scale model was

constructed in order to test

and study the acoustics of

the auditorium. The

frequency of the sounds used

for testing were increased in

order to reduce the

wavelengths by a factor of

ten. To expel the oxygen and

water vapor that absorb high-

frequency sound the model

was filled with nitrogen.5

An acoustical consultant,

Yasuhisa Toyota, honed the

hall's sound.5

3

One of the challenges Toyota faced was achieving full sound coverage from an unamplified orchestra that had no volume

control.5 The vineyard design calls for terraced seating to surround the orchestra allowing for more flat surfaces.5 This would

increase the area for sound to be reflected-an important feature for the success of an unamplified orchestra.5

Much of Toyota's design is based on the principle that concave shape

focuses sound and convex scatters it.5 Using this principle, he

employed concave shapes wherever possible.5 In fact, the "walls"

surrounding the Disney Hall are an optical illusion.5 They are made of

transparent mesh to allow sound to easily pass through and reflect off

whatever lies behind (row upon row of hidden concave curves).5 The

result of Toyota's design is a sound described as "acoustical clarity and

warmth".5

Made from Alaskan yellow

cedar, the stages provides

resonance and can be

configured to hold larger

performances by removing the

first rows in Orchestra.2

Gehry worked with organ builders Manuel Rosales and Caspar Von Glatter-Gotz,

but they didn't want a conventional looking instrument.2 An organ's wooden pipes

are often unseen, but these are front and center to connect it with the wood interior

of the hall.2 The pipes are also curved and bent, which had not been done before.2

3

The organ was completed in 2004.2 The organ console can be

moved around and plugged in to 4 different locations on the

stage.2 In all there are 6,125 pipes that range from a few inches

to the longest being 32 feet (which has a frequency of about 16

hz).2

3

SUMMARY

The beauty of this concert hall is the way Gehry was able to remove himself from the typical form and capture the motion of music, creating an exterior that

seems to dance both on and above the site. The interior then becomes very organic as one journeys between and into these sculptural forms. The creation

of one large volume auditorium with a center stage and vertical seating allows the patrons to have an intimate relationship with the orchestra. The calibration

with Yasuhisa Toyota and many sophisticated acoustic studies produced a space described as having "acoustical clarity". This clarity caused the Los

Angeles Philharmonic to relearn their repertoire to fit the new space. To accompany the orchestra, Gehry worked with organ builders Manuel Rosales and

Caspar Von Glatter-Gotz, to produce an unconventional organ for the space. An organ's wooden pipes are often unseen, but these are front and center to

connect it with the wood interior of the hall. The pipes on this organ were curved and bent, which had not been done before.

References

1 "AD Classics: Walt Disney Concert Hall/Frank Gehry" http://www.archdaily.com/ 441358/ad-classics-

walt-disney-concert-hall-frank-gehry,[cited 6 Feb. 2016]; internet

2 "The Walt Disney Concert Hall Organ: L.A.'s Finest Instrument"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/xaque-gruber/disney-concert-hall-organ_b_1535278.html,[cited 6 Feb.

2016]; internet

3 "Walt Disney Concert Hall" http://www.slideshare.net/kappa2007/walt-disney-concert-hall ,

[cited 6 Feb. 2016]; internet

4 "Walt Disney Concert Hall" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Concert_Hall, [cited 6 Feb. 2016]; internet

5 "Walt Disney Concert Hall 10th Anniversary" http://wdch10.laphil.com/wdch10/wdch/process.html,[cited 6 Feb.

2016]; internet ; internet

6 http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrB8pzMRL1W_TkAHumWnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTBxNG1oMmE2BHNlYwNmcC1hdHRyaWIEc2xrA3J1cmwEaXQD/RV=2/RE=

1455273292/RO=11/RU=http%3a%2f%2fmodelinganddesign.wordpress.com%2f2012%2f01%2f16%2fentrevista-a-frank-

gehry%2f/RK=0/RS=Qyr.4IATWlVR_26bkQFPbvouaP0-,[cited 6 Feb. 2016]; internet ; internet

7 "Frank Gehry" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Gehry,[cited 6 Feb. 2016]; internet ; internet

8 "Walt Disney Concert Hall" https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/Walt_Disney_Concert_Hall,[cited 6 Feb.

2016]; internet ; internet