Barbados’ new National Performing Arts Pavilion — built using 24‑metre (80‑foot) timber trusses and engineered to withstand hurricane‑force winds — was assembled on site in just four months. Designed by Adjaye Associates as a “meanwhile use” venue perched atop the permanent centre’s foundations, the all‑timber structure forms the first phase of an 85,000‑square‑foot cultural complex now rising in the heart of the Barbados Heritage District.
Wood Central previously reported that phase one reached practical completion in September, and can now reveal that the second and final phase of the 85,000‑square‑foot Performing Arts Centre — the Caribbean’s largest timber structure — remains “on track” to open in mid‑2026.
The first phase — which includes a “meanwhile use” venue — was developed in collaboration with StructureCraft, one of the world’s leading timber engineering firms. Together, the team designed the pavilion around an enormous 80‑foot‑tall wood compression truss, the world’s largest all-wood compression truss.
“Achieving the 80‑foot clear span over Barbados’ new centre stage presented a unique opportunity: an all‑wood truss, no metal, no screws,” Lucas Epp, senior engineer at StructureCraft, revealed in a Wood Central article earlier this year. “The truss transfers 120,000 pounds of tension entirely through timber, replacing steel connectors with enlarged Okkake‑Daisen‑Tsugi joints drawn from centuries‑old Japanese joinery.”
“Structural optimisation transforms the traditional tension‑compression webs into pure compression — a truss reimagined as an arch,” Epp added. A recent StructureCraft post further revealed that slender cables brace the sloped glulam columns to their foundations, creating a visible lateral‑force system capable of withstanding hurricane‑force winds while celebrating timber’s natural elegance.
Designed for longevity in a region exposed to tropical storms, the pavilion incorporates timber elements that will be reused in the permanent performing arts centre — a strategy that reinforces its low‑carbon, climate‑responsive design. The component‑based construction system also enabled the entire structure to rise in just four months, demonstrating the efficiency of prefabricated mass‑timber assembly at scale.
When complete, the Barbados National Performing Arts Centre will include a 1,500‑seat auditorium, rehearsal studios, public terraces, and a suite of cultural amenities. The timber pavilion now standing on the site serves as the primary structural element that will remain in place, transforming what began as a temporary installation into a permanent venue built to last decades.
Please note: Lucas Epp will further discuss themes of timber innovation, computational design, and structural craft as a guest speaker at Design‑Tech Talk 8.0, an upcoming online event organised by PAACADEMY on January 10–11, 2026. The two‑day program brings together architects, engineers, and researchers to explore how advanced design tools, AI‑driven workflows, and digital fabrication are shaping contemporary architectural practice, extending conversations like those used in the Barbados project.
