A 2,188-space garage was built below the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

A canyon created by the curving stainless steel on the exterior of the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
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The railings inside the auditorium are brass; the ones in the rest of the complex are stainless steel. The complex makes extensive use of natural light - there are skylights in all major rooms. Douglas Fir and Red Oak wood are used throughout the Hall.

Even nearly devoid of people, the Hall felt warm and cozy. Far from ugly, the interior is inviting and warm. And yes, I now appreciate the exterior, which features the curved stainless steel jumble that gives a different façade from different angles. The lighting at night is going to be stunning. After seeing this place, you realize just how restrained Gehry must have felt when he worked on the Team Disney Anaheim building.

If you think the building looks sloppy or mindlessly put together, or like the "result of dumping out a wastebasket", check out the websites and visit the place when it opens. The place could not have been built without modern computer technology.

A New Downtown
The long-awaited Walt Disney Concert Hall, adding to the Music Center's Ahmanson Theater, the Mark Taper Forum, and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, is being complimented with an overhaul of Grand Avenue, which runs between the Music Center and the County Hall of Administration and courts. At the corner of Grand Avenue and Temple Street, across from the Music Center, the recently completed Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels towers over the 101Hollywood Freeway.

The City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles (two distinct governmental entities) are working with the Music Center to realign Grand Avenue to allow for more pedestrian space on the Music Center side and more landscaping, lighting, and seating.

Clearly visible from the Hall is the distinctive Los Angeles City Hall. Just across the street is the Museum of Contemporary Art. The Hall is easily accessible by public transportation.

What does it all mean?

Los Angeles is no New York City. However, the Walt Disney Concert Hall is another step up for culture in the City of Angels and the County it resides in. With five world-class theme parks nearby, the Hollywood Bowl, studio tours, mountains, beaches, ever-improving museums and performing arts venues, a great basketball team, a diverse (and beautiful) population, and a heavenly climate, L.A. is getting better. Isn't it amazing that, over 36 years after his passing, Walt Disney still playing a role in all of it?

I hope you enjoyed this sneak peak into the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Check out the links below for more information. Tell me what you think via the discussion board link below (for public comment) or by using the feedback form below (for private comment).

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