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.
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.