Lincoln Center's New Look

The NY Sun looks at Lincoln Center's redesign as the arts organization broke ground on the first part of their redevelopment plans:

The project is already underway, and the public will start to see evidence of construction soon. The Paul Milstein Plaza, which extends over 65th Street and is a hangout for Juilliard students, will be destroyed, and a temporary footbridge constructed between the Rose Building and the plaza level by Lincoln Center Theater. This will eventually be replaced by a translucent glass footbridge.

The second phase of redevelopment, the Promenade Project, will create a much a much grander approach to the Josie Robertson Plaza from the street level of Columbus Avenue. Diller Scofidio + Renfro collaborated with FX Fowle to come up with a plan in which the car drop-off lanes will be submerged to the concourse level, allowing pedestrians to walk up a monumental stairway without dodging taxis or skirting the line of barriers that currently blocks the entrance to Lincoln Center.

Elizabeth Diller of Diller, Scofidio & Renfro, the design firm in charge of the renovations (FXFowle is also working on the West 65th Street project), told the NY Times, "It's been 50 years. There are areas that need tweaking, areas that have entirely changed, areas they didn't get right in the first place." We're happy about these changes - Alice Tully Hall and the Film Society are nice, but definitely worn around the edges and a little dingy.

Here's a list of what's happening at Lincoln Center construction-wise, this year. And here are more renderings of the new plans. And Lincoln Center was built during Robert Moses' boom years as Parks Commissioner.

Diller, Scofidio & Renfro rendering of new Columbus Avenue approach to Lincoln Center