Studio Gang covers theatre for Hudson Valley Shakespeare with mass-timber shell

International architecture office Studio Gang has completed the Samuel H Scripps Theatre in Upstate New York for local theatre company Hudson Valley Shakespeare, which opens to the surrounding valley and is covered in a mass-timber shell.

Located in Garrison, New York, on a 98-acre campus, the Samuel H Scripps Theater Center will be the first-ever permanent home and theatre for Hudson Valley Shakespeare (HVS), which has been performing in a tent since the 1980s.

The theatre seats 451 in a central amphitheatre, with a row of rectangular volumes that house utility spaces behind it.

It is only partially enclosed and frames a view of the Hudson Highlands as a backdrop for performances.

"The building's curved mass timber structure harmonises with the natural beauty of the site while modelling a more sustainable future for cultural and performing arts spaces," said Studio Gang founding partner Jeanne Gang.

"This new theater not only preserves and enhances the unique qualities of HVS's open-air performances, but also provides state-of-the-art facilities that support actors, staff, and audiences alike.

Inside the theatre, its mass-timber structure is exposed, and was infilled with additional wood panels. Two main walkways lead up into the theatre stage, while the back is at ground level, and runs straight into the lawn beyond.

A series of gabled-roof structures expands from the back of the theatre. They contain a large bathroom pavilion, a concession stand and support spaces such as a green room and staff offices.

Another gabled-roof pergola stretches over the main entrance to the theatre.

The theatre also contains rooftop solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems as part of sustainable strategies to achieve LEED Platinum certification.

Landscape architects Nelson Byrd Woltz designed a master plan for the campus that forefronts habitat restoration, according to the team.

This includes 14 acres of new planting areas, such as native meadows to encourage biodiversity, and restored grasses and wetlands.

"Inspired by HVS's vision for theater rooted in the landscape, the design of the new campus enables visitors to experience the magic of the site along with creative excellence," said senior principal of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects.

"We are thrilled to help shape Hudson Valley Shakespeare's first permanent home and regenerate the site's ecology."

Visitors navigate the grounds through a series of winding pathways and can spread out along the picnic lawns that overlook the Hudson River.

Hudson Valley Shakespeare was founded in 1987 and formerly known as the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. It traditionally performed in an open-air setting at a longtime site at Boscobel House and Gardens, before relocating to its current site in 2022.

Studio Gang also recently completed a mass-timber building at Harvard and a recreation centre in Brooklyn.

The photography is by Jason O'Rear

Project team:
Client: Hudson Valley Shakespeare
Owner's representative: About The Work
Design architect and architect of record: Studio Gang
Landscape architect: Nelson Byrd Woltz
Structural engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
Mass timber design assist engineer and fabricator: Art Massif
Theatre consultant: Fisher Dachs Associates
Acoustic & AV consultant: Threshold Acoustics
MEP, FP, IT, security engineer and sustainability consultant: Buro Happold
Lighting consultant: Tillotson Design Associates
Survey, traffic, and civil engineer: Badey & Watson
Signage & wayfinding consultant: Flyleaf Creative Inc.
Code consultant: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Construction manager: Consigli