Wenger Corporation is pleased to mark the one-year anniversary of the celebrated renovation of David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. The $550 million project, completed in the fall of 2022, provided this iconic venue with enhanced acoustics, expanded programming options, and elevated aesthetics. In its first year, this facility entertained over 250,000 audience members, hosted more than 400 artists and broadcast more than 100 simulcast performances.
The restoration of David Geffen Hall posed challenges that demanded innovative, multifaceted solutions. Partnering with leading industry players including Fisher Dachs Associates, Akustiks and Diamond Schmitt, Wenger played a pivotal role in two aspects: designing and fabricating custom acoustical panels, banners and drapery; and engineering tailored rigging equipment and controls. “This significant project exemplified the harmonious collaboration that has defined our company’s history,” said Dave Thomas, President and CEO of Wenger Corporation. “Along with our focus on quality and innovation, our success depends on the strong industry relationships we have forged over the years; they enable us to deliver on our mission of enriching lives by enabling and inspiring great performances.”
Mehdi Ghiyaei, Associate with Diamond Schmitt Architects, acknowledged the project’s complexity and Wenger’s key role in stating, “In our re-imagining of the concert hall’s design, three different mandates needed to be addressed simultaneously – acoustic, performative and architectural. Accomplishing this was possible through our collaboration with Wenger technology.”
In size and complexity, Wenger’s largest contribution to Geffen Hall is the large acoustic canopy that extends over the orchestra and the choral platforms behind the stage. It is comprised of ten acoustically reflective, advanced composite FRP ceiling panels that can be manipulated independently – both elevation and angle – via J.R. Clancy motion control system and motorized hoists.
An architectural highlight of the renovation is kinetic “firefly” lighting integrated into three ceiling panels, totaling 47 custom lighting fixtures of various sizes with independent motor and control capabilities. When retracted into storage position, each light fits securely into its own pocket in the panel, disappearing when the show begins. The panels’ positional flexibility enabled Acoustician Paul Scarbrough of Akustiks to fine-tune each panel for Geffen Hall’s primary tenant, the New York Philharmonic, while also providing acoustical flexibility to accommodate smaller ensembles or soloists. The unique mechanics also increase programming versatility for non-music events. “This canopy is probably the most complex we have ever designed, both its size and combination of upstage, downstage and cross-stage elements,” he explained.
Acoustical tuning of Geffen Hall is also enhanced by banners and drapery inside the hall. The banner designs were complicated, with wall aesthetics and ceiling constraints influencing their placement. Some banners pop up from the floor; these are located on the hall’s first two seating tiers. The third tier uses drop-down roller banners, found also at the back of the first two tiers. Acoustical drapery spans above the third-tier seating, moving from sidewall pockets across the ceiling. Wenger worked closely with Fisher Dachs to ensure these acoustic elements complemented the room’s aesthetics.
Wenger and Fisher Dachs Associates also collaborated on the Grand Promenade lobby, which boasts a level of technical sophistication on par with the performance hall, now able to facilitate multiple events with minimal setup time. Bob Campbell, Principal with Fisher Dachs, considers this entire project another successful collaboration with Wenger. “Our strong relationship has been built over several decades of working together, plus J.R. Clancy’s 100+ years of industry experience,” he concludes. “Wenger can take difficult ideas – sometimes crazy ideas – and use the latest technology to create solutions that push the boundaries. That approach is seen all over Geffen Hall.”
Further information from Wenger Corporation: www.wengercorp.com
