16
It took 16 years and $274 million to build the concert hall.
50
There were 50 different design iterations that preceded the one we see today. All the concepts maintained architect Frank Gehry’s signature deconstructivist forms, evolving from a swooping stone structure into the curvaceous steel one we see today.
30,000
The number of architectural drawings generated to complete the building.
165,000
The panel system covers 165,000 square feet. If each of the 12,500 individual panels were laid end to end, they would stretch 49 miles.
145
The weight, in pounds, of each steel panel adorning the structure. Each of the 4-by-10-foot panels was field-formed by hand and attached to the building’s steel stud back-up system using 3M’s double-sided VHB Tape.
300
The number of tons of bolts and welds holding the structure together.
300,000
The Hall consists of approximately 300,000 square feet of building area over a footprint of 157,000 square feet.
133,000
To cover the Hall’s interior, 133,000 square feet of Douglas fir acoustic paneling was applied. This adornment provides the space with optimal sound reflection.
2,265
The number of seats housed within the main concert hall. Unlike in a traditional hall, seats are distributed across a 360° layout, meaning there is no bad seat in the house!
2.2
The Hall’s reverberation time is approximately 2.2 seconds unoccupied and 2.0 seconds occupied.
6,134
The number of wood pipes that make up the organ, designed by Frank Gehry in collaboration with master organ builder Manuel Rosales. The 128-stop musical masterpiece took 2.5 years to construct, and only 2% of the pipes—which range in size from a pencil to a telephone pole—are visible.
366
Local residents have been known to use the exterior staircases of Walt Disney Concert Hall as their personal gym. Weaving around the building are 366 steps, including several hidden staircases not readily visible from the street.
45
The rooftop garden contains more than 45 flowering trees. The trees represent six species—Hong Kong Orchid, Strawberry Snowball, Naked Coral, Chinese Pistache, Pink Trumpet, and Tipu—that bloom one after another alongside more than 30 flowering shrubs and perennials. Another fun fact: Six coral trees came from an apartment complex in Marina del Rey, and others were sourced directly from the yards of Los Angeles homeowners.
10,000
The number of fragments yielded from the 200 Delft porcelain vases broken to create A Rose for Lilly, the centerpiece of the Blue Ribbon Garden. The fountain measures 22 feet wide by 17 feet long and 7 feet high and weighs about 15 tons. Eight artists worked eight-hour days six days a week to create the sculpture.
60
The artists left behind 60 little Easter eggs for any visitor who decides to closely inspect the fountain. Hidden among the thousands of Delft fragments are shards that bear artist initials, playful drawings, and a single illustration depicting architect Frank Gehry.