Benaroya Hall - S. Mark Taper Auditorium

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

A first-class orchestra in a world-class arena.. The Scene
The new home of the Seattle Symphony and "the other Seattle Sound," Benaroya is the latest symbol of the city's artistic arrival. A project 12 years in the making, the dramatic glass, steel and limestone design helps complete Seattle's midtown revival. Modeled after Vienna's Grosser Musikvereinssaal and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw with a classic horseshoe plan, it aspires to an acoustical purism uncluttered by baffles and architectural cheats of other modern symphony halls. Along with a 2,500-seat main auditorium, it also features a 541-seat recital hall for more intimate performances. The four-story lobby, enclosed by a curved-glass facade, provides the perfect backdrop for concertgoers to sip wine and bask in the city's new glamour. Beer and wine are also available for that quick nip before the show.

The Experience
Next time the Symphony plays "Carmina Burana," classical music's version of power-pop, let's hope the sonic waves shatter Dale Chihuly's ghastly medusa-head chandeliers in the vestibule.