Nicolai Ouroussoff writes that Disney Hall lives up to extravagant expectations. “What makes the building so moving as a work of architecture is its ability to express a deeper creative conflict: the recognition that ideal beauty rarely exists in an imperfect world. It is this tension — and the delicacy with which Gehry resolves it — that makes Disney Hall such a powerful work of social commentary. That he could accomplish this despite a tortured construction process that dragged out over 16 years is a minor miracle. Its success affirms both Gehry’s place as America’s greatest living architectural talent and Los Angeles’ growing cultural maturity.”