New Concert Hall Miami Beach

[Karl-G]

In case you have not seen the news, a brand new concert hall is opening in Miami Beach tomorrow evening. It is the New World Symphony Hall, and it is designed by Frank Gehry. The NYTimes has three articles on it today, and the Times' critic says it is the first Gehry building he has loved.

 

[There are many wonderful photographs in the Times, but I do not want to infringe on copyrights. I have removed the photographs I originally included. You can see them all on-line.]

 

If you know Miami Beach, it is half a block north of Lincoln Road, which is the trendy street lined with outdoor restaurants in the heart of Miami Beach. It is an excellent location. It is also right across the street from the Jackie Gleason Theater (the old concert venue in Miami Beach) and a block from the Miami Beach Convention Center. It is about five blocks from the beach. There is great excitement.

 

The music director, and moving force behind all this, is Michael Tilson Thomas, who is also director of the San Francisco Symphony.

 

And to go with Miami's reputation, they have also built a spectacular parking garage a couple of blocks away. It was finished a year ago, and when we saw it we were fascinated. It looks like you park your car right at the edge of the platform and nothing but luck keeps you from falling off. I have not parked there yet, but I will have to try it. It is fairly expensive, I guess, at $4.00 an hour. But right next to the concert hall is a municipal lot which charges only $1.00 an hour and is as convenient as it is possible to be. There are two new parks on either side of the hall, and it should be a great place to walk around in the evening.

 

 

[More great photos from the garage - check them out in the Times.]

 

Space in the garage can be rented, and this is a photo of a recent wedding reception on one of the top floors. There are no railings or walls around the edges anywhere - it is all open. It looks like a lot of fun. Floors are 34 feet apart.

 

 

 

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