Pic(k) of the week 36: Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles - a Frank Gehry building
While the Summer temperatures here in Dubai are still well above 40C (104F), my Architectural photography in the UAE has been put on hold for a while...
I did however have the opportunity to photograph an interesting project by one of my favourite Architects, Frank Gehry; who by the way, a few months ago, was a passenger on my flight from New York to Dubai.
The Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles (CA, USA), got its name from a large donation given by the Disney family. Although the project started in 1994, the concert hall, which can seat 2265 people, opened in 2003 after a delay due to lack of funds.
Its shape reminds me a lot of another Frank Gehry design; the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Northern Spain.
Unfortunately there was a large Food festival next to the building the Friday night I was there, limiting me to detail shots. On a positive note, it gives me the opportunity to return...
An interesting side story is that unlike the majority of the matt finish of the building, part of it (Founders room) was initially very shiny. With some neighbours complaining about excessive glare and heat; similar to the effect of a parabolic mirror, the solution turned out to be lightly sanding the panels causing the problem!
Image details:
Fujifilm X-T1 with the XF 10-24mm f4 Fujinon lens
Mounted on a MeFoto tripod + Really Right Stuff BH-30 bullhead
ISO200, 16mm (24mm full frame equivalent), f11,
3 images shutter speed bracketing between 1.7s and 1/35s
Merge to HDR in Photomatix 5
Nik ColorEfex pro 4 for contrast enhancement
More images of this amazing building can be found in a brand new Los Angeles gallery.
To quote Mr. Gehry; " An architect is given a program, budget, place and schedule. Sometimes the end product rises to art - or at least people call it that way".
BJORN
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