Rafael Viñoly - Kimmel Centre for the Performing Arts

Rafael Viñoly
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Philadelphia, USA

Photo courtesy Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

"The first orchestra I ever knew was The Philadelphia Orchestra, under Stokowski, which I heard on my father's records. He was involved professionally with music in Uruguay and then in Argentina, where he ran the Teatro Colón, and I myself originally trained for a career as a pianist. So it appealed to me to build a place for The Philadephia Orchestra, for which I retain an adulation that dates back to childhood".
Rafael Viñoly

The Kimmel Cent for the Performing Arts will open its doors to the public on December 17th.
The 40,000 square feet building, home to the Philadelphia Orchestra and five other performing arts companies as well as providing a venue for touring productions, includes the 2,500 seat Verizon Orchestra Hall, the flexible 650-seat Perelman Recital Theatre, a restaurant, café, gift shop and Commonwealth Plaza civic space.

Photo courtesy Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

The major components,"two jewels in a glass case", Verizon Hall and Perelman Theater, are treated as complete, free-standing buildings. Perelman Theater, with its curved facade, is placed off-axis toward the front of the site on Broad Street, while Verizon Hall, with its polygonal exterior, is centered at the far end. The spaces between and around the two buildings form an indoor plaza, top-lit by day through an immense barrel vault roof of folded plate glass.

The "sinuous" form of the Verizon Hall is based on the shape of a cello. Surfaces are covered in mahogany, adding to the image of a "finely crafted musical instrument".

By contrast, the Perelman Theatre is a metal-clad flexible space within the orthogonal form of a cube.

Photo courtesy Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

The four-story walls of the great building are in scale with the low-rise neighborhood and clad in Norman-size brick that conceals a series of steel piers repeated down the length of the building. The piers support the curving glass vault that reaches 150 feet.

Visitors promenading balconies that circle the second and third floor, underlining the social nature of the space, will animate the interior walls.
A series of bridges connect the balconies to each of the performance halls.
The building's roof offers a landscaped terrace, also connected to the perimeter balconies.

The 89-foot-tall Perelman Theater has a multi-use facility has a 75-foot-diameter turntable stage which can instantly transform the theater from an intimate recital hall with an acoustic system designed for chamber groups and orchestras to a deep stage with a complete fly loft, capable of supporting mid-sized theatrical productions and dance.

The hexagonal Verizon Hall, a rectangle with large chamfered corners, is clad in Makore, a mahogany-like wood, with horizontal fins breaking the facade. The interior is a metaphor for music making, the main orchestra level and the balconies suggesting the curves of a cello. The walls and curved fronts of the balconies are covered in a warm mahogany and the seats in several shades of deep red, suggesting the rich tones and color of the instrument.

Facilities located below the center's main level, called Commonwealth Plaza, are the 150-seat Innovation Studio which will alternate as a black box theater and rehearsal hall, a gift shop and coffee shop, various administrative and back-of-the-house functions, central MEP operations, and parking for 150 cars.

Architect:
Rafael Viñoly Architects PC
Design Team:
Rafael Viñoly, FAIA (Lead Designer)
Jay Bargmann (Project Director)
Sandy McKee (Project Manager)
Charles Blomberg
Harry Bolick
Adam Felchner
Yumi Fujikawa
Larry Jones
John Kinnaird
Shigeru Kotoda
Yoshinori Nito
Harold Park
Caleb Peterson
Stephen Sedalis
Crystal Son,
Chris Stone
Hiroki Wakimura
Ivan Zidarov

Acoustics Designer:
Artec Consultants Inc.:
Russell Johnson, FASA
Robert Wolff
Allan Teplitzky
Christopher A. Storch, New York, NY

Theater Consultant:
Richard Pilbrow
David I. Taylor
Benton Dellinger
Michael Nischball, Norwalk, CT

Structural Engineers:
Dewhurst Macfarlane and Partners
Goldreich Engineering, PC M/E/P

Consultants: Ove Arup and Partners

Fire Safety Engineers:
Hughes Associates, Inc.

Lighting Design:
Claude R. Engle Lighting Consultant

Food Service Equipment Consultants:
Cini-Little International, Inc.

Graphic Design:
Wojciechowski Design
Specifications:
Robert Schwartz and Associates

Vertical Transportation Consultants:
Van Duesen and Associates
Security Consultant:
Aggleton and Associates
Organ Design:
Dobson Pipe Organ Builders
Civil Engineers:
Ang Associates
Geotechnical Engineer:
McClymont and Rak
Construction Manager:
LF Driscoll/ Artis T Ore Joint Venture

December 10, 2001

Rafael Viñoly arcspace features





				Features
		Rafael Viñoly Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Philadelphia, USA Photo courtesy Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts "The first orchestra I ever knew was The Philadelphia Orchestra, under Stokowski, which I heard on my father's records. He was involved professionally with music in Uruguay and then in Argentina, where he ran the Teatro Colón, and I myself originally trained for a career as a pianist. So it appealed to me to build a place for The Philadephia Orchestra, for which I retain an adulation that dates back to childhood". Rafael Viñoly The Kimmel Cent for the Performing Arts will open its doors to the public on December 17th. The 40,000 square feet building, home to the Philadelphia Orchestra and five other performing arts companies as well as providing a venue for touring productions, includes the 2,500 seat Verizon Orchestra Hall, the flexible 650-seat Perelman Recital Theatre, a restaurant, café, gift shop and Commonwealth Plaza civic space. Photo courtesy Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts The major components,"two jewels in a glass case", Verizon Hall and Perelman Theater, are treated as complete, free-standing buildings. Perelman Theater, with its curved facade, is placed off-axis toward the front of the site on Broad Street, while Verizon Hall, with its polygonal exterior, is centered at the far end. The spaces between and around the two buildings form an indoor plaza, top-lit by day through an immense barrel vault roof of folded plate glass. The "sinuous" form of the Verizon Hall is based on the shape of a cello. Surfaces are covered in mahogany, adding to the image of a "finely crafted musical instrument". By contrast, the Perelman Theatre is a metal-clad flexible space within the orthogonal form of a cube. Photo courtesy Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts The four-story walls of the great building are in scale with the low-rise neighborhood and clad in Norman-size brick that conceals a series of steel piers repeated down the length of the building. The piers support the curving glass vault that reaches 150 feet. Copyright © Rafael Viñoly Architects PC Computer image Visitors promenading balconies that circle the second and third floor, underlining the social nature of the space, will animate the interior walls. A series of bridges connect the balconies to each of the performance halls. The building's roof offers a landscaped terrace, also connected to the perimeter balconies. Copyright © Rafael Viñoly Architects PC The 89-foot-tall Perelman Theater has a multi-use facility has a 75-foot-diameter turntable stage which can instantly transform the theater from an intimate recital hall with an acoustic system designed for chamber groups and orchestras to a deep stage with a complete fly loft, capable of supporting mid-sized theatrical productions and dance. Copyright © Rafael Viñoly Architects PC Architect's sketch of Perelman Theater with "turntable" stage The hexagonal Verizon Hall, a rectangle with large chamfered corners, is clad in Makore, a mahogany-like wood, with horizontal fins breaking the facade. The interior is a metaphor for music making, the main orchestra level and the balconies suggesting the curves of a cello. The walls and curved fronts of the balconies are covered in a warm mahogany and the seats in several shades of deep red, suggesting the rich tones and color of the instrument. Copyright © Rafael Viñoly Architects PC Interior view of Verizon Hall Facilities located below the center's main level, called Commonwealth Plaza, are the 150-seat Innovation Studio which will alternate as a black box theater and rehearsal hall, a gift shop and coffee shop, various administrative and back-of-the-house functions, central MEP operations, and parking for 150 cars. Architect: Rafael Viñoly Architects PC Design Team: Rafael Viñoly, FAIA (Lead Designer) Jay Bargmann (Project Director) Sandy McKee (Project Manager) Charles Blomberg Harry Bolick Adam Felchner Yumi Fujikawa Larry Jones John Kinnaird Shigeru Kotoda Yoshinori Nito Harold Park Caleb Peterson Stephen Sedalis Crystal Son, Chris Stone Hiroki Wakimura Ivan Zidarov Acoustics Designer: Artec Consultants Inc.: Russell Johnson, FASA Robert Wolff Allan Teplitzky Christopher A. Storch, New York, NY Theater Consultant: Richard Pilbrow David I. Taylor Benton Dellinger Michael Nischball, Norwalk, CT Structural Engineers: Dewhurst Macfarlane and Partners Goldreich Engineering, PC M/E/P Consultants: Ove Arup and Partners Fire Safety Engineers: Hughes Associates, Inc. Lighting Design: Claude R. Engle Lighting Consultant Food Service Equipment Consultants: Cini-Little International, Inc. Graphic Design: Wojciechowski Design Specifications: Robert Schwartz and Associates Vertical Transportation Consultants: Van Duesen and Associates Security Consultant: Aggleton and Associates Organ Design: Dobson Pipe Organ Builders Civil Engineers: Ang Associates Geotechnical Engineer: McClymont and Rak Construction Manager: LF Driscoll/ Artis T Ore Joint Venture December 10, 2001 Rafael Viñoly arcspace features