“By now, we know what it sounds like to be at the Kimmel Center. But what does it feel like?” writes Peter Dobrin in Thursday’s (9/21) Philadelphia Inquirer. The center, home to the Philadelphia Orchestra and other arts groups, “is now more than a decade-and-a-half-old and is once again reconsidering the visitor experience. In three town halls on Sunday and Monday, Kimmel leaders will ask the public to dream a bit about its latest acquisition, the Merriam Theater…. The Merriam project holds out great promise as just the kind of connective tissue that could help make the Kimmel feel more like the campus it is becoming…. The Kimmel’s lobby snack bar … is open only at times leading up to events and at intermission. And yet, the Kimmel sometimes pulses with energy. Monday night for its first monthly free La Noche, the Kimmel turned the south end of the plaza into a nightclub with a band and a spread of margaritas and empanadas…. A newly renovated lobby has been part of the Kimmel’s master plan for several years … Additional proposed modifications include a less-fortresslike exterior at street level, an escalator, and restrooms on the plaza level. These changes look promising.”
Posted September 22, 2017
