Case Study: Hudson Valley Shakespeare achieves a sustainable permanent theater with Thornton Tomasetti

Hudson Valley Shakespeare brings 471-seat mass-timber theater to life with Thornton Tomasetti

Hudson Valley Shakespeare, after performing under a seasonal tent for 39 years, needed a new permanent and sustainable home for its performances. Thornton Tomasetti provided structural design services to create an innovative open-air theater center with a dramatic mass-timber roof, helping the client achieve its vision and LEED Platinum sustainability goals.

Thornton Tomasetti engineered a complex glue-laminated wood roof structure based on a bird's wing shape. Through close collaboration, they refined the design into an efficient system that reduced material needs and simplified fabrication. The result is the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center, a 471-seat mass-timber wonder that seamlessly integrates with the natural landscape and serves as a new permanent venue for the client.

Hudson Valley Shakespeare