This instrument was a collaborative project, with tonal-design by Manuel Rosales and mechanical design by Caspar von Glatter-Götz and the German firm of Orgelbau Glatter-Götz. The organ’s façade, and the hall in which it stands, was designed by Frank Gehry, a dramatic array of pipes both memorable and fully functional.

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Points of Interest​​

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6,134 pipes ranging in size from 32 feet to a few inches
The organ is a gift to the County of Los Angeles from the Toyota Motor Corporation
The visual design of this new organ is the collaboration between architect Frank 0. Gehry and organ builder Manuel J. Rosales.
The mechanical design, construction, tuning and voicing is the result of collaboration by two internationally known pipe organ builders: Glatter-Götz Orgelbau in Germany and Rosales Organ Builders in Los Angeles.
The voicing and tuning by Rosales Organ Builders will be completed in 2004.
The project consultant is J. Michael Barone of Minnesota Public Radio’s “Pipedreams.”
The organ was shipped from Germany by sea in six containers; total weight is over 40 metric tons.
Installation by the Glatter-Götz staff in WDCH began in April 2003 and was completed in June 2003.
Total number of ranks is 109.
The length of the longest pipes is over 32 feet and the largest pipe weighs over 800 lbs.
The smallest pipe is the size of a small pencil with a speaking length less than 1/4″ long.
The lowest note has a frequency of 16 cycles per second, which is C below the lowest note on the piano.
The highest note has a frequency of 10,548 cycles per second, which is an octave plus a third higher than the top note of a piano.
The specially-curved wood facade pipes were made by Glatter-Götz Orgelbau of solid, vertical grain Douglas fir.
The wood facade pipes are actual speaking pipes consisting of the Violone and Basson basses.
Behind the facade are metal pipes, which are made of alloys of tin and lead.
Wood pipes were made in the workshops of Glatter-Götz Orgelbau of solid oak and solid pine.
Metal pipes were made in various specialty workshops in Portugal, Germany and England.
The main console is permanently installed at the base of the organ’s facade in the ‘forest’ of pipes.
The stage console is moveable and can be plugged in at four locations.
61-note manual keyboards are covered with simulated ivory and solid ebony.
32-note pedal boards are made of maple and ebony.
128 draw stop controls are hand-lettered on porcelain with solid ebony stems.
80 manual thumb piston controls and 28 pedal toe pistons are available for preset combinations.
300 memory levels are available for the organists’ preset combinations.
The bench is raised and lowered with an electric motor.
Closed circuit television will allow the organist a view of the conductor at the main console.
Wind for the organ is supplied by three blowers. The blower motors total 13.3 horsepower.
Wind pressures range from 4″ (102mm) for the Positive to 15″ (380mm) for the Llamada “Tuba.”
The keys on the main console are connected to the pipe valves via a mechanical linkage known as ‘tracker action’.
Both consoles are equipped with electric action, which may be digitally recorded for playback and archival purposes.
The organ is equipped with MIDI interface for connection to digital systems.
The sound of this organ is designed specifically to support the orchestra and not to imitate it.
The organ will be voiced with a wide dynamic range from super pianissimo to a breathtaking fortissimo.

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Materials Used

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Douglas fir for the façade wood pipes and the organ case
Cherry for the console
Porcelain for the stop knobs
Simulated ivory and ebony for the manual keyboards
Metal pipes of high-tin alloys, 75% to 90%
Flute pipes of hammered lead