Walt Disney Concert Hall:

Orchestrated Security

“We have our personnel, When Robert Harris was planning

the patrols, the prox cards security for the 1984 Los Angeles
and the cameras. They are
all important, however, Olympics, little did he know that some
the balance is that with day he would be in charge of one of the city’s newest
the 360-degree-view on
cultural landmarks. He is now director of security for
the cameras, we can use
fewer cameras. Each the Walt Disney Concert Hall, which is the new home
camera now has a wider of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. When the
field-of-view.”
Music Center Operating Company opened the facility’s
Robert Harris
Director of Security, Walt Disney
Concert Hall massive, glass doors to the public in October of 2003,

the building immediately made history. It is already being

hailed as an architectural landmark of original brilliance.

It is one more high-profile triumph for internationally

renowned architect Frank Gehry, and its silver walls

reach over the downtown skyline like a metallic volcano.

The steel frame is considered one of the most Anticipating the flow of the crowds soon to be
intricate and complex in the United States. walking through the facility, Harris, Lankford
The metal-clad façade, or surface skin, is and the rest of the security staff have been
composed of 6,400 stainless steel panels, walking every square inch of the complex.
spanning more than 160,000 square feet. While the official literature indicates that the
complex contains 293,000 square feet of
As Harris and his security manager Robert space, there are actually no square feet to be
Lankford have been watching the serpentine found anywhere. There are no straight walls,
walls go up around them, they have been no right angles, and no obvious 90-degree
working to create a security system that corners. Instead, the walls and columns curve
does not exist in any manufacturer’s catalog. and arc, piercing the rooms at extreme angles.
“Obviously, this is a unique structure, and
we have a whole new set of challenges The entryways are wide and grand, with
to secure it. There are lots of nooks and a warm, maple veneer. Many of the halls
crannies,” Lankford says. “There are and stairways narrow down to snake-
lots of places we just can’t put cameras. like passageways. “On any given day,”
We have to integrate the use of security Harris explains, “up to 10,000 people
officers, train them on the equipment, and could be walking through this area.”
plan the way they will do their patrols.”
Some of those people could be walking up the
Harris and Lankford have been meeting with stairs, or riding up the escalators, after parking
product vendors and sub-contractors, studying in the 2,188-space, 7-level, subterranean
schematics and marking floor plans. So far, the parking garage. It is actually an extension
equipment that will make up the core of an of the original county parking structure built
integrated system includes 97 American in 1985. It has public, uncontrolled access
Dynamics dome cameras, with a combination through ticket-dispensing machines from the
of fixed and pan/tilt/zoom. They are operated three surrounding streets. Employees of the
on the American Dynamics Intellex v3.1 Digital nearby Los Angeles city and county office
Video Management system, and the related buildings can park there on work days. The
MegaPower matrix switcher/controller system. parking lot is also used by employees, as
The Network Client Remote well as the celebrities, musicians, singers
Management software will and performers who will be appearing at
allow for multiple control any of the venues that make up the Los
rooms that connect by Angeles Music Center. It is also a parking
International Fiber Systems area for the general public who will be
Digital audio and data communications attending performances at the complex’s
systems. The proximity card system will be a various stages. These include the 752-seat
proprietary configuration by PCSC, with the Mark Taper Forum, the 1,400- to 2,000-seat
capability of custom graphics and artwork for Ahmanson Theatre, and the Dorothy Chandler
each user. Pavilion, with a capacity of 3,189 people.
The only part of the parking garage that will balance is that with the
have controlled access via the proximity 360-degree-view on the
card system is the “Founders’ Area,” where cameras, we can use
major donors will park their cars, or their fewer cameras. Each
drivers will park their limousines. They camera now has a wider
also have their own elevator, lobby, lounge field-of-view.”
and seating area in the auditorium.
Harris has to stay aware of not only the
“We have the public coming in here all the security and strategic side of his job, but also
time,” Harris says. “We have people walking the financial plan that keeps the complex
along the sidewalks, out on the streets. in business. “The Ahmanson, Mark Taper
We’re right in the middle of downtown. Forum, The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and
There are the busloads of tourists and the resident companies such as the opera and
hundreds of school tours every week. the master choral, all have rental agreements
This is why it is so critical that not only do with us throughout the year. The Music Center
we choose the right equipment, but that Operating Company is the landlord for the
we also place it strategically. We need to county. These venues have to be rented out
know where the critical areas will be.” to fill the space,” Harris says. “Every lobby,
hallway and area of the gardens outside will
“This is vastly different from policing be rented as a gathering place for events,
in other venues,” he continues. “We such as cocktail parties, book signings,
must provide security for government speakers or receptions. In addition, we have
officials and visiting dignitaries.” government officials coming through here all
of the time for meetings and receptions.”
Harris is applying what he has learned during
his diverse experiences as a policeman in “This is exactly why the proximity card
Kansas, a fraud investigator for Kaiser, and system is so versatile,” he adds. The cards
one of the emergency response planners for feature Passive Proximity, at 125 kHz, with
the Los Angeles Olympics. “Basically, we will a 9- to 11-inch range of response. They are
use a combination of foot patrols and some UL 294 listed and FCC-compliant. Each
stationary personnel. It is important to secure special donor or performer will be able
the perimeter,” Harris explains. “If you can to have custom photos and graphics on
secure the perimeter, you’ve got 60 percent the access cards, making each card not
of your area covered. However, this place only an access device, but a souvenir.
has lots of hidden corners. It is a strange
configuration.” He has started bike patrols “It is much more difficult to change things once
through the grounds and around the city block. you have a turnstile installed. With the proximity
cards, we can move and change the access
Lankford says that he considers each part of levels and users,” Harris says. “We’ll be setting
the security system to be critical. “We have our up tents in the plaza, then taking them down
personnel, the patrols, the prox cards and the and arranging tables near the fountains.”
cameras. They are all important, however, the
The main auditorium is one area that will not
be monitored by the security camera system System Summary
that watches the rest of the complex. This is Project:
by unanimous decree of the planning board. Walt Disney Concert Hall
Only the video, film and television cameras Location:
will be allowed inside the performance area. Los Angeles, California
Since there are no security cameras in that
Products:
area, the only way for the security staff to Domes, cameras, Intellex,
observe any activity in the auditorium is to MegaPower and Network Client
Remote Management.
walk over the stage through the catwalk
system, communicating with Motorola radios.

The entire security infrastructure is already

in place. The cabling was installed during
construction, and most of the cameras and
card readers have been installed. However, the
project is designed for change at a moment’s
notice. “We won’t really know what we need
until people actually start arriving. We have
to see what happens,” Harris says. “We have
to be flexible when we first go in. The alarms,
cameras and access control devices can all
be modified. The first few months will be the
key. Together, Lankford and I will continuously
analyze and re-strategize the access levels,
the equipment, and the methods. It is so
much easier to give and take away card
access on a daily basis, at any given time.” ❑