A building with a form that defies the rules of symmetry and that certainly does not go unnoticed in a city where geometric shapes are undisputed rulers. The Walt Disney Concert Hall is capable of surprising the observer by leaving them with no fixed points, and no spatial references.
A play of contrasts that together create a unique harmony. If you are in Los Angeles, do not miss a visit to this stunning California architectural icon. If you have the time and the opportunity, I recommend checking what concerts are scheduled and buying a ticket – the acoustics inside the main hall are among the best in the world.
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Walt Disney Concert Hall Information
The Walt Disney Concert Hall is one of four buildings at the Los Angeles Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles. Opened in 2003, this building is the newest of the four and is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
The building is a masterpiece of modern architecture designed by architect Frank Gehry, internationally famous for designing the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. In fact, the Californian building was conceived by its designer long before the Spanish museum. In fact, in 1987, Lillian Disney, Walt’s widow, earmarked $50 million to build a concert hall where fellow citizens could appreciate the talents of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and intended it to be a tribute to her late husband Walt Disney’s love of art and music.
More than 70 architects participated in the bidding for this new venue, but Frank Gehry’s design emerged over the others, not only because its eclectic space succeeded in creating a link between the Philharmonic and the broad audience, but also because it fits perfectly into the urban context of the city that welcomed it. Work began in 1991 and ended, after some long pauses, in 2003. The total cost of the work is estimated at around $274 million, 110 of which was for the parking lot.
Directions
The Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 South Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles on Bunker Hill. The building occupies an entire block between First Street, Grand Avenue, Second Street, and Hope Street. You will have no difficulty recognizing it, but it is important to remember that it is part of a complex of four different buildings, the name of which is the Music Center. The entire area, in fact, has plenty of private parking and is served by public transportation.
If you are driving, the Music Center has two official parking lots. The most convenient to get to the Walt Disney Concert Hall is the one located on Second Street, called the Walt Disney Concert Hall Garage. The other parking garage in the complex, however, is located on Grand Avenue, between First Street and Temple Street. For both parking garages, the cost is $9 during events or $3.50 every 15 minutes up to a total of $20 on days without events.
If you use Uber, Lyft or a cab, the best place to get dropped off is right at 111 South Grand Avenue, in front of the main entrance.
By subway you can take the Red or Purple Line and get off at the Civic Center/Grand Park Station stop. From the station it is about a 4-minute walk down First Street to the Concert Hall.
For more details on how to arrange travel around the city please refer to our guide on getting around Los Angeles.
Tours, Schedule and Opening Hours
The Walt Disney Concert Hall is open:
- Tuesday through Sunday from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m.
- Mondays from 4:00 p.m. if performances or concerts are scheduled.
- Fridays at 9:00 a.m. in the event of matinees.
On days when concerts are scheduled the box office remains open until 30 minutes before the start of the event.
Free tours lasting about an hour organized by experts depart from the Grand Lobby of the Walt Disney Concert Hall to explore the interior and exterior of the building and discover anecdotes and trivia. The free tours are for small groups of up to 14 people, while groups of 15 or more must make reservations and pay $15 per person. Tours do not include a visit to the auditorium as it is generally occupied by artists.
Schedule of Walt Disney Concert Hall performances
Walt Disney Concert Hall Architecture
The building designed by Frank Gehry is an architectural masterpiece that resembles a ship with its concave and convex shapes made of stainless steel panels. To avoid the reflection and overheating of the building itself, and the resulting overuse of air conditioning, work was carried out in the years following its inauguration to sandblast the panels. Its aesthetic beauty and the splendor of the building that is reflected in the photographs of any tourist remain unaffected.
Although the beauty of the building’s exterior is what stands out first, one should not forget the purpose for which it was created: to be a concert hall. Indeed, the main concert hall is a breathtaking marvel: the size of the hall with as many as 2265 seats and the Douglas fir wood lining will make you feel welcomed and pampered. The concert hall’s extraordinary acoustics are a collaboration between Gehry, Minory Nagata and Yasuhisa Toyota and are among the most renowned in the world. In addition to the auditorium, the building houses several rehearsal rooms, a small theater for 250 people, a beautiful rooftop garden on the third floor, and an outdoor amphitheater.
Where to Stay in the Area
The Walt Disney Concert Hall is located in the neighborhood called Bunker Hill in downtown Los Angeles. Finding a hotel or overnight accommodations near the Music Center is not difficult, but I still recommend you read our article on the best places to stay in Los Angeles to choose the best neighborhood.
