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The Walt Disney Concert Hall is located on the south end of the Music Center Campus. The Concert Hall is bordered by Hope Street (West), Grand Avenue (West), First Street (North) and Second Street (South). Get Directions.
About the Theatre
Designed by architect Frank Gehry, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, is designed to be one of the most acoustically sophisticated concert halls in the world, providing both visual and aural intimacy for an unparalleled musical experience. The 2,265-seat auditorium with natural lighting in which the audience surrounds the orchestra was designed to look and feel like a ship's hull. The Walt Disney Concert Hall is wheelchair accessible and Phonic Ear sound system headsets for the hard of hearing.
The Walt Disney Concert Hall encompasses two outdoor amphitheaters, including the William M. Keck Children's Amphitheatre seating 300 and a second performing space that accommodates an audience of 120, as well as a space for pre-concert events. Part of the Walt Disney Hall complex, the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT), is a 250-seat multi-use theater and a 3,000-square-foot art gallery operated and programmed by California Institute of the Arts. Located at the southwest corner of the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex at Second and Hope Streets, REDCAT is accessible through a separate main entrance at Second Street, retaining its own distinct identity.
From the stainless steel curves of its striking exterior to the state-of-the-art acoustics of the hardwood-paneled main auditorium, the 3.6-acre complex embodies the unique energy and creative spirit of the city of Los Angeles and the Resident Companies that call the Concert Hall home.
Click here for KCRW's four-part radio documentary on Walt Disney Concert Hall
Fact File
- Opened: October 23, 2003
- Opening Performances: Three Philharmonic Galas October 23, 2003, Sonic LA October 24, 2003, Living LA October 25, 2003, Sound Stage LA
- Construction began: December 1992 for the Garage and August 1997 for the Concert Hall
- Site dedication: Civic Dedication October 20, 2003
- The hall contains 12,500 pieces of primary steel, which weigh over 11,000 tons.
- Over 30,000 architectural drawings were produced to build the Concert Hall.
- A 750,000-lb. crane was needed to erect the steel support structure.
- 300 tons of bolts and welds were used.
- 18,000 cubic yards of concrete were poured, including two roof slabs 15 inches thick.
- Eight skylights were designed with glass three inches thick to keep the interior naturally bright.
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