Lincoln Center, in its entirety, is the result of a Robert Moses project announced in 1956. The neighbourhood housing the people who provided inspiration to the creators of the musical West Side Story was razed, the complex built, time passed and recently the plaza was ‘reopened’ following its multi-year, $1.3 billion renovation, which began in 2006. That’s a lot of money for a renovation.
Some of it went to remaking the Revson Fountain. I’ve heard around $10,000,000, from insiders with whom I used to work while a stagehand at the Met Opera House, when I was a student, then lighting director for the Bolshoi Ballet (Moscow) and the Peking Opera (Beijing).
I’m proud of having been part of the history of Lincoln Center, and happy to see it restored and crowded with concert goers and tourists.
The fountain is spectacular — a must-see! Show times are listed to the right.
And there is outdoor summer dancing, with a full New York-sized orchestra at the Midsummer Night Swing.
The patterned plaza pavement was designed by Philip Johnson, who was inspired by the Campodiglio in Rome. The renovated fountain closely resembles its former incarnation but actually looks finer and more delicate, because the ‘collar’ surrounding the pool was changed to become a floating seating ring. What’s beneath the seating ring?
PSI—who built the seating ring—also built Cloud Gate in Chicago, aka ‘The Bean’, by sculptor Anish Kapoor.
WET Design built the waterworks spectacle.
