Landmark Disney concert hall dedicated in Los Angeles ( 2003-10-21 11:00) (Xinhua)
The long-awaited architectural landmark, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, was
formally dedicated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held here Monday.
The dramatically undulating, stainless steel-clad complex, which took 16
years to build at a cost of 274 million US dollars, will be officially open on
Thursday when the Los Angeles Philharmonic holds its first concert at its
stylish new home.
"The Walt Disney Concert Hall is a new symbol of our city," said building
tycoon Eli Broad at the dedication ceremony. Broad was one of the principal fund
contributors for the construction of the building.
"It will really join the Eiffel tower in Paris, the parliament houses in
London and the Sydney Opera House as one of the most photographed buildings in
the world," Broad said.
Designed by Frank Gehry, a top US architect, the gleaming building resembled
the billow sails of a ship to reflect Gehry's twin themes of horticulture and
the sea.
Speaking at the ceremony attended by Los Angeles Mayor Jimes Hahn and
outgoing California Governor Gray Davis, Gehry said he tried "to make it a
beautiful room to listen to music and to experience the Los Angeles Philharmonic
as it's never been experienced before."
Gehry said the building's gardening theme was a tribute to
animation mogul Walt Disney's widow, Lillian, who donated 50 million dollars to
kick off the project in 1987.
Lillian said she wanted to create an "internationally recognizable
architectural landmark" with the idea of first attracting further donors and
later a well-heeled audience.
"I showed her a bowl of white roses and I said I'm going to make a flower for
you. It's kind of a flower + I hope it is + for her," he said.
The hall has a stunning 2,265-seat concert chamber lined with wood and
undulating ceilings and walls.
Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who was responsible for pushing the
project in the 1990s after years of delay, said the hall is "the greatest piece
of architecture built in the last 100 years."
With the dedication of the new landmark building at the city center, Los
Angeles city officials hope it will become a new tourist attraction and will
help revitalize the downtown area which is almost deserted at
night.
Gehry said the building's gardening theme was a tribute to
animation mogul Walt Disney's widow, Lillian, who donated 50 million dollars to
kick off the project in 1987.
