The weather cooperated with the opening of some key public spaces at Lincoln Center today, and it appears everything new has its very own name. Like the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Lawn, an arcing hyperbola of green that doubles as the roof for an upcoming restaurant from star chef Jonathan Benno, which is at the edge of the recently redesigned North Plaza Hearst Plaza. This is all part of the transformation of Lincoln Center, a gargantuan job ultimately costing a reported $1.4 billion, where our buddies at Diller Scofidio + Renfro are shaking up the formal modernism of the original arts complex by opening things up?and driving some people crazy. Like NYT architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff, who isn't so happy with what he sees.
The Big O lobs a few spitballs across the greenery in his review, saying that the architects are "too subdued in some places, pointlessly gimmicky at others" and have managed to "mess it up with cheap frills" that are "jarring and fragmented" and use "visual splash for its own sake." Ouch! Folks who showed up for some fun in the sun seemed to think otherwise, finding the sloping lawn perfect for a roll or two. A couple of limber kids from Julliard even tried out some tumbling, but were quickly thwarted by the security crew, who probably had liability on their minds.
· Lincoln Center Renovation coverage [Curbed]
· The Greening of Lincoln Center [NYT]
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