The David Rubenstein Atrium is a privately owned public space that acts as a gateway to New York`s Lincoln Center. It serves as a ticketing venue and information area for Lincoln Center and also hosts performances, public seating, and food service. The presence of the atrium is announced on Broadway and Columbus by two marquees that are punctuated with large occuli. Once inside, visitors are greeted by a thirty foot high plant wall, which cleanses and moistens the air and creates the sense of a calm and inviting garden. A fountain in the ceiling, trickling thin streams of water to a pool below, adds the soothing sound of falling water to the space. Occuli piercing a gold ceiling bring light and color. Along the walls is a 97-foot felt wall art installation whose 114 panels were designed by the Dutch textile artist, Claudy Jongstra. Benches and moveable seating makes the atrium a comfortable place to meet friends and enjoy a light meal.
The David Rubenstein Atrium, formerly known as the Harmony Atrium, is one of approximately 503 Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS) in New York City created under a longstanding program that offers zoning incentives for buildings to provide accessible public spaces.
The Tod Williams Billie Tsien design reflects a respect for the materials used throughout Lincoln Center and achieves an open, accessible, and inviting environment
The gallery
The Atrium is the first LEED certified, “green” building on the Lincoln Center campus.
Award-winning architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien have transformed an underutilized, indoor space into a welcoming public space and visitors’ center where natural elements meet man-made ones, and artistic flourishes co-exist with a streamlined design aesthetic.