A new theater in the Hudson Valley of New York State features 451 seats covered in a mass timber shell.
Birnam Forest didn’t supply the wood for the new Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center in Garrison, NY, that houses the local theatre company Hudson Valley Shakespeare but it is the latest use of mass timber in building construction.
The theatre is designed as a central amphitheater but is only partially enclosed to provide views of the local landscape as a backdrop for performances, according to the architect for the project.
“The building’s curved mass timber structure harmonizes 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,” she added.
Studio Gang has been an active architectural firm in mass timber construction, having also recently completed structures at Harvard and in Brooklyn, NY.
Interested in seeing more on Mass Timber? Be sure to check out the all-new Mass Timber and Prefab Showcase that will be on display at IWF 2026 this August.
