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Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts

New York, NewYork, USA

Alice Tully Hall, a 1,100-seat premiere performance hall within the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, underwent a major renovation in 2009 that included an expansion of its lobbies, public spaces, and the concert hall itself.

Inside the performance hall, the design objective was to create more intimacy, both visually and acoustically. To accomplish this vision, architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro and FXFowle Architects collaborated with theater consultants Fisher Dachs and JaffeHolden and lighting design firm L'Observatoire International.

Even though the hall has world-class acoustic capabilities, its most stunning feature is a visual one. The design team wanted to create continuity between the stage and the audience and built a curving wall of Moabi wood. The wood’s rich colors and complex pattern enhance the inviting environment.

At key points throughout the room, the Moabi walls are thin enough to let light pass through, and are backlit by Philips ColorGraze™ Powercore LED fixtures.

Affixed behind the veneer, these wall-washing fixtures project a rich, reddish-orange color that makes the walls “blush.” And with no visible harsh edges, the glowing effect is uniform and shadowless across the wall surfaces.

The glowing effect is timed with the stage shows. As the house lights dim to signal the beginning of a performance, the ColorGraze Powercore units come on to create an inner glow for a few moments, and then the overall effect transitions to show lighting. This creates a seamless and inviting experience for all theatergoers.