American architect Studio Gang has revealed its design for a theatre campus in the town of Garrison, in New York State.
The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival project is anchored by a 13,850 sq ft open-air theatre that will be surrounded by pavilions. The structure will bring the theatre’s actors, audiences and back-of-house under a single roof for the first time and allow the festival to extend its performance season.
Visitors will reach the theatre through a hillside meadow leading to picnic lawns and a plaza, which unites the theatre and surrounding structures.
The theatre will contain a curved, timber-framed grid shell and timber columns. The stage contains a tiered proscenium arch, oriented to frame views of the Hudson River, Breakneck Ridge and Storm King Mountain.
The 98-acre complex will also contain a campfire circle and an outdoor gathering space adjacent to the theatre.
The project has been designed to achieve LEED Platinum green certification.
Jeanne Gang, Studio Gang’s founder, said: “Our design aims to help the company build on their strengths, with low-carbon architecture that improves daily functionality and amplifies the traditions that define their open-air performances – like the spectacular proscenium arch – as well as create new opportunities for audiences and actors to interact before and after the show.
“The ecology of the site also receives a new level of care, replacing a monocultural lawn with a biodiverse landscape that brings resiliency, wildlife and seasonal beauty for all to enjoy.”
Construction is due to begin next year.
