Lincoln Center announced Wednesday that the new $550 million concert hall for the New York Philharmonic will open in October, two years ahead of schedule.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams attended a ceremony to get a preview of the reimagined David Geffen Hall, which Lincoln Center and Philharmonic officials said will improve the concert experience and come with better acoustics.
The main lobby will double in size and include a media streaming wall that will show concerts and events for free in real-time, as well as other digital information.
The overhaul also includes a new Welcome Center on Broadway and a reconfigured Grand Promenade, which could accommodate 1,000 people.
“This new David Geffen Hall, the ingenious behind it, breaking down barriers, bringing people closer to the performers. I believe that the one major takeaway from this pandemic is that people miss that very human connection,” Hochul said.
“That isolation, that sense of being alone, it was paralyzing for so many people and this venue is going to be so open and welcoming and bring people close together in countless ways … What you’re seeing right out this window is the future of New York.”
Adams said the new and improved Lincoln Center is another sign that the city is “going to come back bigger and better” post-coronavirus pandemic.
The remade concert venue replaces the old Avery Fisher hall, first built in 1962.
