New Gehry Bows

Bard College’s new $62 million Frank Gehry performing arts center is alluring, writes Nicolai Ouroussoff. “Wrapped inside its shimmering steel container, the main performance hall faces a lush, rolling meadow. The smaller theater and rehearsal rooms are plugged into one side of this form. A dense patch of woods acts as a backdrop for the center, with the Catskill Mountains rising in the distance. The arrangement allows Gehry to create a mesmerizing architectural narrative.”