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Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
At Spruce Street on the Avenue of the Arts (Broad Street), adjacent to the University of the Arts.
Philadelphia, PA
Submitted by: Ethan Kent
Is this 2001 building a downtown gem - or "the first great architectural mistake of the 21st century"?
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Why It Doesn't Work
With its alienating blank walls and uninviting pedestrian entrance, the Kimmel Center is at best an interruption of an otherwise reviving Avenue of the Arts. The brick overhangs and prominent car entrance and loading docks further separate the street and the downtown from anything that goes on inside the building. The goal of the architecture seems to be easing the passage of wealthy suburban patrons into and out of the complex while minimizing their contact with the urban surroundings - but still allowing them to feel like they are participating in civic grandeur. The remarkable glass ceiling aptly punctuates the attempt for the building and its patrons to rise above Philadelphia while separating out and looking down upon the people and places that are quietly creating a great city.
A $265 million 15-year project, most of the money was raised under the auspices that it would be a contribution to its downtown neighborhood. It is quite obvious that the neighborhood had little input into the design of the building and in no way stands to benefit from its architecture or its clientele. It is unfortunate that the slogan of its fundraising department is "creating a landmark and a legacy – together."
What Puts Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in the Hall of Shame?
The pedestrian entrance - which is no more than the wall bent in - only half-heartedly opens to the street. The walls and sidewalks of the building are poorly lit and have no significant signage. The crossings on Broad and Spruce streets are unnecessarily long and unsafe. The center is very easily accessed by the cars and trucks.
The intimidating blank walls and a total absence of amenity are an insulting break in an otherwise pedestrian friendly avenue. The image of the arts it portrays, if any, is that of elitism and inaccessibility to the masses.
Despite indoor public spaces and restaurants, from the street there seems to be no obvious way to experience the building as a pedestrian unless you pay to go to a concert. Even the fact that it is a concert hall or that anything exciting may be going on inside is not readily apparent.
It seems unlikely that anyone would choose to meet outside and mind waiting for someone outside this facility. Likewise, the possibility that patrons of the center would linger in surrounding public spaces or venture out in to the neighborhood does not seem to exist. Most unfortunately, people from the neighborhood would risk being considered undesirables if found lingering around the building and are likely intimidated to be in its vicinity at all.
History & Background
Excerpted from the Kimmel Center website:
Governor Tom Ridge presented RPAC with a gift of $20 million from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. "Philadelphia’s Regional Performing Arts Center is the very best kind of public-private partnership -- individuals, corporations, foundations and public dollars all coming together to build what will be a spectacular landmark. What a wonderful and exciting time for the arts in Pennsylvania," says Governor Ridge.
Believing strongly that the Center will be instrumental to the continued revitalization of Philadelphia and the regional economy, Mr. Kimmel first pledged $12 million to the project in 1993, then contributed another $3 million in 1998.
The Kimmel Center will seat 3,150:
2,500 in Verizon Hall
650 in the Perelman Theater
The Center's structure and finishing include:
29,054 total cubic yards of concrete (equivalent to 92 miles of 5-foot wide sidewalk)
317,000 masonry blocks
3,700 total tons of structural steel
2,281 tonnage of rebar (reinforcing steel bars)
61,048 linear feet of structural steel tubing supporting the glass roof
1,400 tons of steel in the arches supporting the glass end walls
156,677 square feet (3.6 acres) of glass glazing
66 tons of weights holding glass end walls
9,300 gallons (860,000 square feet) of paint
594 doors
2.5 miles (13,184 linear feet) of handrails
14 elevators
144 bathroom fixtures (86 for women and 58 for men)
135,000 total cubic yards of dirt were removed from the construction site at Broad and Spruce Streets
There are more than 3,900 public parking spaces within three blocks of The Kimmel Center, with an additional 1,000 proposed.
Contact Info:
Phone: 215.790.5800
Related Links:
- The Kimmel Center website
- Feature on building the center - Includes drawings, images and facts and figures about the building process and the result.
- Interview with Kimmel Center architect Rafael Vinoly
User Comments:
> Add your own comment about Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
> Add your own commentabout Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
I recently became Director of Communications for the Kimmel Center for the Arts and have to say I wholeheartedly and respectfully disagree with Mr. Kent's observations. One of the main reasons I took the job here in Philly, aside from the quality of great presentations that take place on the various hall's stages, is the sheer soaring beauty of the facility. I was awestruck by the scope, imagination, and breathless quality of the architecture of The Kimmel Center. I've worked in many concert halls around the country, both new and old, recently built and recently restored; all had their inherent beauty and connection to their community, as does The Kimmel Center.
And, equally enamored of the Kimmel are many others. Hundreds of thousands of others in fact, on a yearly basis. The numbers are in from last year and concert goers flocked to the facility for performances, by early estimates more than 600,000 in fact. More than 8,300 people took the free 1pm tour. Children came to education related events and programs by the busload, literally. One need only stand out front on performance evening to watch the excitement and anticipation and energy around the anticipation of the first notes resounding from the Kimmel's stages. A brand new $6.4m pipe organ is being built in Verizon Hall and receiving rave reviews, before a single note is even being played on the massive new instrument. The many world class resident performing arts companies are thriving in their new home.
The Kimmel is and has become a true jewel in the crown of Philadelphia. I would invite Mr. Kent to join us on performance evenings so that he too can "catch the fever" that is the Kimmel Center.
Paul Marotta