The lobby of the building was intended to be a “living room for the city,” which would open up onto the sidewalk as a way of bridging the gap between daily life and the inner sanctum of the hall; much in the same way that the curvy exterior complemented the cornice of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, creating a union between the past and the future. Within, Douglas fir lines the walls creating and maintaining a warm and comfortable atmosphere. Gehry and his team strongly favored openness and an environment that would promote equality, togetherness and a civic center for the city of Los Angeles. There are no sections for balcony or box seating. Additionally, prosceniums that would typically separate listeners from the orchestra were removed creating a stage that affords few bad seats, if any. Alaskan yellow cedar was used to build the stage, which creates excellent reverberations and can be configured and reconfigured to adjust for larger groups to perform.

The interior of the Disney Concert Hall

Keeping in line with the hopes of creating a public space or civic center, there’s a beautiful garden oasis located past the undulating curves. In the center of the garden rests a large artwork called “A Rose for Lilly,” which was built of delft china, Lillian Disney’s favorite. The rose was intended as a tribute for Mrs. Disney, who’d given the initial donation for the construction of the concert hall. Interestingly, a comparison between Lilly’s rose, Disney Concert Hall, and Walt and Lillian’s real life can be drawn. While Walt was the magnate, the main attraction who had so much to offer the world around him, Lillian was his beautiful rose; a wonderful attraction in her own right.