Kimmel Center
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is Philadelphia's premier performing arts venue, a complex of concert halls opened in 2001 that provides home for the Philadelphia Orchestra and other performing arts organizations. Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, the center features a distinctive barrel-vaulted glass roof that encloses two performance spaces—Verizon Hall and Perelman Theater—within a year-round public atrium. The center occupies an entire block on South Broad Street's Avenue of the Arts, contributing to the cultural district that has transformed Center City's southern edge.[1]
Design
[edit | edit source]Rafael Viñoly's design places two acoustically isolated performance halls within a massive glass-roofed enclosure. The barrel vault, spanning 150 feet and rising 150 feet above street level, creates a dramatic interior public space—the Commonwealth Plaza—that functions as urban room accessible to all. The enclosure's glass walls and roof flood the interior with natural light while the halls themselves, constructed as independent structures within the larger envelope, achieve the acoustic isolation their performances require.[2]
Verizon Hall, the larger of the two performance spaces, seats 2,500 in a cello-shaped auditorium designed for orchestral performance. The hall's shape, materials, and proportions were developed through collaboration with acoustician Russell Johnson to achieve sound quality appropriate to the Philadelphia Orchestra's needs. Wood surfaces, adjustable acoustic elements, and careful geometry create a hall that has earned praise from musicians and critics. Perelman Theater, the smaller venue, provides flexible space for recitals, jazz, and other performances requiring intimate scale.[1]
Avenue of the Arts
[edit | edit source]The Kimmel Center anchors the Avenue of the Arts, the cultural district developed along South Broad Street since the 1990s. The district, which includes the Academy of Music, Merriam Theater, Wilma Theater, and other venues, concentrates performing arts facilities in a corridor that creates mutual reinforcement. Audiences visiting one venue become aware of others; restaurants and other services develop to support cultural activity. The Kimmel Center's scale and architectural distinction give the district a landmark that defines its presence.[2]
The Avenue of the Arts represents intentional cultural planning that sought to revitalize South Broad Street while establishing Philadelphia's performing arts presence. The Kimmel Center's construction served as catalyst for additional development, attracting investment that might not have occurred without the center's anchor presence. The district demonstrates how cultural facilities can drive urban revitalization, though the relationship between arts investment and economic development remains subject to debate.[1]
Philadelphia Orchestra
[edit | edit source]The Philadelphia Orchestra, one of America's premier symphony orchestras, makes its home at Verizon Hall. The orchestra's need for an acoustically superior modern concert hall drove the Kimmel Center's development, as the Academy of Music—the orchestra's previous home—lacked the acoustics and facilities that contemporary performance standards require. The move from the historic Academy to the new Verizon Hall generated both excitement about acoustic improvement and nostalgia for the beloved nineteenth-century venue.[2]
Verizon Hall's acoustics have generally met expectations, with musicians and audiences appreciating the clarity and warmth that the design achieves. The hall's cello shape creates intimate feeling despite its large capacity, bringing audiences close to performers in a room whose proportions enhance musical experience. Adjustable elements allow tuning for different repertoire and ensemble sizes. The hall represents significant investment in acoustic quality that the Philadelphia Orchestra's reputation demands.[1]
Public Access
[edit | edit source]The Kimmel Center's Commonwealth Plaza provides public space accessible regardless of ticket purchase. Visitors can enter the atrium during public hours to experience the architecture, dine at restaurants, browse shops, or simply enjoy the dramatic interior space. Free concerts, lectures, and other programming in the plaza extend the center's reach beyond ticketed performances. This accessibility distinguishes the Kimmel Center from venues that open only to ticket holders.[2]
The glass roof creates interior conditions that change with weather and time of day. Natural light floods the space during daytime; sunset creates dramatic effects; nighttime illumination transforms the building into lantern visible along Broad Street. This relationship to exterior conditions animates the interior in ways that fully enclosed buildings cannot achieve, though it also creates climate control challenges that mechanical systems must address.[1]