As far as New York rituals go, the moment the Metropolitan Opera House’s glamorous crystal chandeliers ascend into the ceiling during first curtain surely ranks as one of the most beloved. Created by Hans Harald Rath of Austria’s family-owned glassware company Lobmeyr, which was founded in 1823, the chandeliers have been on object of wondrous fascination since the New York Metropolitan Opera opened on 13 September 1966.
The iconic chandeliers – including 11 in the lobby and 21 in the auditorium – were commissioned exclusively when the opera house moved from its original location on Broadway between 39th and 40th Streets, to its current home on Lincoln Center Plaza. In keeping with the building’s bold statement of modernity, the architect Wallace K Harrison supplied Rath with several space-age references, including a copy of Le Ciel, a book on cosmology by the astrophysicist Jean-Claude Pecker.
Legend has it that Rath, creatively road-blocked, happened upon the constellation-like design by inserting toothpicks into a potato. Whatever its genesis, the resulting ‘Auditorium’ design, the first to use Swarovski crystals on such a scale, proved to be a massive success (the line remains Lobmeyr’s bestseller).
In addition to its intergalactic design legacy, the chandeliers also stand as a symbol of the relationship between Austria and the United States. The lighting was an official gift to the United States by the Republic of Vienna, recognising the Marshall Plan’s assistance in jumpstarting the European economy after the Second World War.
In 2008, the chandeliers were taken down and thoroughly cleaned for the first time since 1966. ‘It was then we realised just how beloved these chandeliers actually were,’ says Lobmeyr’s Leonid Rath, the designer’s grandson, at an event celebrating the chandelier’s 50th anniversary. ‘It was clear that these were not just a regular piece of interior design or lightning. Before they were taken away, all of the staff, including the stagehands, wanted to make sure we would take suitable care with their prized chandeliers.’
The iconic chandeliers – including 11 in the lobby and 21 in the auditorium – were commissioned exclusively for the opera house when it moved from its original location on Broadway, between 39th and 40th Streets, to its current home on Lincoln Center Plaza
The lighting was an official gift to the United States by the Republic of Vienna. Pictured: Hans Harald Rath of Lobmeyr and the US Ambassador, during the handover ceremony in Vienna
Legend has it that designer Hans Harald Rath happened upon the constellation-like design by inserting toothpicks into a potato. Pictured: the 'Auditorium' chandelier – still a Lobmeyr bestseller, 50 years on
The 'Metropolitan' chandelier, which features brass metal parts in different finishes, 'Sputnik' elements in different colours and an elliptical layout
INFORMATION
For more information, visit Lobmeyr’s website
Photography courtesy Lobmeyr
ADDRESS
The Metropolitan Opera
30 Lincoln Centre Plaza
New York, NY 10023
-
Discover South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island: food, fun and beachside blissWith natural splendour and a balmy, subtropical climate, Hilton Head Island beckons beach-goers, gourmets and golf fans alike
-
A look inside the home of George Homsey, one of the fathers of pioneering California modernist community Sea RanchGeorge Homsey's home opens for the first time since his death, in 2019; see where the architect behind some of the designs for Sea Ranch, the pioneering California modernist community, lived
-
Love, melancholy and domesticity: Anna Calleja is a painter to watchAnna Calleja explores everyday themes in her exhibition, ‘One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night’, at Sim Smith, London
-
Is Emeco's 'No Foam KNIT' a sustainable answer to synthetic upholstery textiles?'Make more with less' is Emeco's guiding light. Now, the US furniture maker's new mono-material textile, the 'No Foam KNIT', may offer a sustainable solution to upholstery materials
-
Smooth operator: Willett debuts new furniture at Design Miami 2024, with a playful touch of retro allureLA furniture designer Willett turned heads in the design world with the launch of his eponymous brand earlier this year. Ahead of his Design Miami debut, he told us what’s in store for 2025
-
Hella Jongerius’ ‘Angry Animals’ take a humorous and poignant bite out of the climate crisisAt Salon 94 Design in New York, Hella Jongerius presents animal ceramics, ‘Bead Tables’ and experimental ‘Textile Studies’ – three series that challenge traditional ideas about function, craft, and narrative
-
One to Watch: designer Valerie Name infuses contemporary objects and spaces with historical detailFrom vessels to furnishings and interiors, New York- and Athens-based designer Valerie Name finds new relevance for age-old craft techniques
-
First look: Matthew Fisher opens the doors to his first gallery in ManhattanHistory, design, and environmental consciousness converge at M. Fisher in New York City, offering an experience that is as meaningful as it is visually striking
-
Cooper Hewitt’s ‘Making Home’ triennial reveals an intimate side of the museum’s Gilded Age architecture'We live and work in the Carnegie Mansion, but it's not typically something that we engage with directly in our exhibitions,' says Alexandra Cunningham-Cameron, one of the co-curators
-
Forged in the California desert, Jonathan Cross’ brutalist ceramic sculptures go on show in NYCJoshua Tree-based artist Jonathan Cross’ sci-fi-influenced works are on view at Elliott Templeton Fine Arts in New York's Chinatown
-
Italian designer Enrico Marone Cinzano fuses natural perfection with industrial imperfectionEnrico Marone Cinzano's first solo show at New York’s Friedman Benda gallery debuts collectible furniture designs that marry organic materials with upcycled industrial components
