In the Hudson Valley, Studio Gang has built a shell-shaped theatre that opens out onto the landscape

One of the most important theater companies in New York State now has a theater of its own. In Garrison, in the Hudson Valley, a large wooden shell covers the stage space without completely enclosing it, building an atmosphere of strong tension that unites spectators and actors under the same roof, while remaining exposed to natural elements and atmospheric phenomena. Unlike what happens in traditional theaters, where architecture often tends to isolate the audience from the outside, here the landscape remains the protagonist.

The project for the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center was signed by Studio Gang, which designed the building in close relationship with the landscape of the Hudson Valley. Inserted within a campus of about forty hectares, the theater dialogues with the botanical layouts curated by the landscape architects of Nelson Byrd Woltz. The entire complex was conceived following eco-sustainable strategies: solar panels, rainwater harvesting and reuse, natural ventilation systems, and the use of low-carbon wood. The project is also a candidate for Leed Platinum certification, which would make it the first outdoor theater in the United States to achieve this milestone.

The shell structure is made of curved glulam, protects 451 seats, and frames the view of the Hudson Highlands through the arch that defines the proscenium. Supporting it are large exposed A-shaped wooden pillars. Natural shading along the perimeter of the roof and passive ventilation contribute to the cooling of the building, working in synergy with the other environmental strategies of the project, including increasing the biodiversity of the site.

The inauguration of the space, celebrated with the staging of As You Like It, marks a fundamental transition in the history of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare company, which since 1987 had performed under a large tent inside Boscobel House and Gardens, overlooking the Hudson River. The new theater, built a short distance away, ideally continues that tradition of openness towards the landscape but introduces a permanent structure capable of expanding the audience, improving the environmental management of the site, and consolidating the relationship between performance and nature.