The site for Rockefeller's theater was 12 acres of leased property. Conceived as an opera house, Radio City was intended as a showplace that would appeal to both affluent and average patrons. Rockefeller formed a partnership to build it with David Sarnoff, president of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), and theater showman S.L. Rothafel. Named Radio City Music Hall by Sarnoff, it would incorporate the finest architectural design and film technology, making it a theater that would entertain and inspire.
Edward Stone was the lead architect for Radio City Music Hall. He employed a modernist approach, using a simple design void of exterior flourishes such as grooved vaults and masonry columns. His design called for exterior steel support and concrete floors and interior supports. The floor plans were practical, efficient and logical. His uncomplicated design blended in well with the 19 other buildings in the Rockefeller Center complex.
Industrial designer Donald Deskey used the art deco style to furnish the theater and its 30 spaces, including lounges, smoking rooms, dressing rooms, restrooms and offices.The style consisted of stainless steel columns, bronze trim and aluminum rails with clean lines and wood banisters with curved, polished edges. Unusual combinations of marble, gold foil and cork covered the walls. Deskey hired artists to hand-paint murals and craftsmen to create one-of-a-kind chandeliers and carved wood panels. He even designed the furniture, rugs, carpeting and signage.
Opened in December 1932 and home to the world-famous Rockettes dancers, Radio City Music Hall seats 5,933 people. It measures 160 feet from the back wall to the stage and has an 84-foot high ceiling. Sunburst-style arches frame the walls and ceiling. Three mezzanines offer an excellent view over the rear orchestra. The proscenium frames the 60-foot high, 100-foot wide stage. Three movable stage sections are powered by hydraulic elevators; a fourth one raises the orchestra. Built for the theater was the world's largest gold stage curtain. More than 25,000 lights illuminate the hall. On both sides of the proscenium are chambers housing the pipe organ's 4,410 pipes.
In 1979 Radio City Music Hall underwent a seven-month, $70 million major restoration. New building codes called for revised lighting systems, handicap ramps and structural improvements to the foundation. Restored interiors consisted of new carpets and wall coverings woven in the original colors and patterns. Murals and walls were cleaned and repainted. New applications of gold and silver leaf replaced faded layers on ceilings and railings, and chairs and tables were reupholstered. When it reopened in 1980, more than 300 million people had seen 700 films and countless performers at Radio City Music Hall.