Carnegie Hall

Before Andrew Carnegie commissioned him to build one, William Burnet Tuthill had never designed a concert hall. Clearly, his lack of experience was no detriment: Not only did Tuthill conceive an elegant building, but his work also—and most notably—gave Carnegie Hall its legendary sound. To tackle the interior of the main hall, the architect traveled to Europe to find out what makes a concert hall sound great. The result was a beautifully resonant performance space with simple, elegant styling that helps put the focus on the excellent acoustic environment with innovations like open boxes and offset rather than vertically stacked tiers. Tuthill was so nervous on Opening Night that when he witnessed the crowds filling the Dress Circle and Balcony, he dashed home to review his calculations in fear that the levels may collapse. They stood and still stand.