Edward Durell Stone designed the hall, with interiors by Donald Deskey, for John D. Rockefeller Jr., who backed the project after the planned Metropolitan Opera house was canceled in December 1929. The article calls the style Art Deco, with an Indiana limestone facade. Construction began in December 1931, and the hall opened on December 27, 1932.
The auditorium has about 5,960 seats on four tiers, with the mezzanines cantilevered from the back wall, though Roxy counted 6,201 and the 1999 renovation installed 5,901. The Great Stage is 66.5 by 144 feet, with a 50-foot turntable and an orchestra pit for 75 musicians. Its proscenium arch was designed by Peter Clark to resemble a setting sun.
The elliptical Grand Foyer has a four-story ceiling and a mural by Ezra Winter. The interior became a New York City landmark in 1978. The 1999 renovation was projected at $25 million and later reported as $70 million.
Comments