Henry Timms, President and CEO of Lincoln Center, and Deborah Borda, President and CEO of the New York Philharmonic have unveiled a re-imagination of David Geffen Hall.

The new project will transform the concert hall and all public spaces, enhancing the concert-going experience, fostering a sense of community, and creating bold and innovative ways to connect with the world outside.

Working in Concert, Lincoln Center and the New York Philharmonic are set to engage a team of architectural design firms and theater experts to spearhead the $550 million project. The project has already raised $360 million.

Diamond Schmitt Architects, led by Gary McCluskie, will design the concert hall with acoustician Paul Scarbrough of Akustiks and theater designer Joshua Dachs of Fisher Dachs Associates.

According to a press release, the purpose for the construction will be to create a more intimate performance venue with state-of-the-art acoustics and artistic flexibility to present orchestra concerts, solo performances, multimedia presentations, and movie screenings.

As a result, all public spaces will be re-conceptualized to provide better opportunities for people to gather and connect.

The new concert hall will introduce a “single-room” concept, eliminating the proscenium and moving the stage forward by 25 feet, with audience seating wrapped around it, bringing all seats closer to the performers and providing acoustical and visual intimacy.

The new Hall will also have a flexible space with variable stage configurations designed to support a wide range of performance initiatives. The new hall also reduce seating capacity by 500 seats to 2,200, and a steeper rake incline will be added to the orchestra level, significantly improving acoustics and sight-lines.

Other new additions include the the main lobby which will double in size and open up on three sides to connect with the campus as well as a new Welcome Center on Broadway will offer a portal to Lincoln Center for the public. There will also be a new destination eatery for informal and casual dining and a new media streaming wall, which can show concerts and events in real time as well.

Another addition will also be The Sidewalk Studio, which will be a home for educational, artistic, and community activities.

The new hall is scheduled to open in March 2024, with two short closings. The first closing will occur between May 2022 and October 2022 and the second during May 2023 and February 2024.

As a result the New York Philharmonic will perform at Carnegie Hall and the New York City Center and Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival will be presented throughout the Lincoln Center campus.