America’s first public purpose-built LEED Platinum theatre will rise in New York after the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Theatre Company broke ground on the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Centre — a 14,850 square feet, 475-capacity open-air venue on the Hudson, just 80 minutes north of central Manhatten.
Designed by Studio Gang, the theatre—which will become the new destination for the New York performing arts community—features a gently curved grid shell made from low-carbon mass timber materials. The shell opens directly onto the revitalized landscape and frames views of the highlands along the Hudson River.
“Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s new theatre is designed to immerse audiences and actors in the rich landscape of the Hudson Valley. The architecture weaves in elements of the natural environment to create a unique indoor-outdoor setting for the company’s open-air productions and offers an unparalleled theatre experience.”
Studio Gang Founding Partner Jeanne Gang.
Constructed by Consigli—responsible for more than 20 cross-laminated timber and glulam projects in the Northeast—the new centre, initially proposed in 2020, is supported by exposed timber A-frame columns.
The building’s natural material palette and curved shade structure help the design blend into the rolling landscape: “The stage’s proscenium arch serves as both an entrance for patrons and actors and a natural backdrop for the company’s open-air performances,” the studio said, with the new venue set to open in time for the 2026 theatre season.
How engineers solve the acoustic puzzle in open-air venues
In August, Wood Central revealed how the PNE Amphitheatre in Vancouver – the world’s longest timber arch structure and one of the largest free-span roofs ever constructed – would dramatically reduce the volume of sound spreading into neighbourhoods.
Designed by Revery Architecture in collaboration with Fast + Epp and Stages Consultants, one of North America’s top acoustics design firms, the 105-metre curved roof directs sound toward the audience, reducing the likelihood of the sound “spreading to areas beyond the amphitheatre.”
That is thanks to a unique roof design, which reimagines the concept of a traditional concrete shell but instead uses a mass timber design – effectively blocks and redirects sound toward the audience to create a more efficient acoustic environment that doesn’t need the same level of amplification.
- To learn more about the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Centre, click here for Design Gang’s case study.
