Grand opera house design and Off-Broadway intimacy elegantly combine in the 199-seat Jewel Box Theatre, a one of a kind performance venue.  Upon walking into the theatre, patrons will gaze up at the hand-crafted plywood panels that frame the proscenium, wrap around the balcony front, and create a ceiling under the lighting bridges above the audience.  Each wood panel will be stained a deep chocolate brown that will fade to black as the lights come down on the audience.  Even before the lights come up on stage, the design elements give this space an inherent theatricality.  The panels are also acoustically engineered to fill the house with full, clear, and rich sound.  Whether in the orchestra or in the balcony, audiences will have the unique opportunity to be immersed in the world of play.

Below are some side by side comparisons of Gehry's models for the theatre and the construction site in November 2010.

All model images courtesy of Gehry Architects, New York.