poised above the banks of the hudson river, just 90 miles north of new york city, the richard b. fisher center for the performing arts is a new cultural facility on the campus of bard college. the intimate theater one has a seating capacity of 900 people, an 80-foot-by-40-foot stage with a full fly system, forestage lift and acoustical shell, and broadcast and recording capability. the theater will accommodate orchestral and chamber music, opera, drama, musicals, dance, and lectures.
“this is a wonderful house, with two stages that will allow us, artistically, to do anything we want to do. acoustically, there won’t be a bad seat in the house.” leon botstein
theater two, a black-box venue with flexible seating capacity accommodating up to 300, has a smaller orchestra pit, traps, and a modified fly tower. these two theaters are situated under one roof, along with rehearsal studios and support facilities. together, they provide an outstanding home for bard’s theater and dance programs, and for a variety of productions to be produced and presented by the center.
“it’s not a traditional theater building. it has a parklike setting. as you approach, you see the building glistening. it’s welcoming. its scale is userfriendly and inviting. its façade at the end of a meadow looks out onto an expanse of green that will stay green. its entry canopy is not a marquee; it’s more like a covered porch, a place for visitors to mingle, to enjoy a sense of community inspired by the performing arts that the building celebrates.” frank o. gehry
the design of the building evolved from the design of the two theaters. each theater was planned to fulfill specific performance needs: to accommodate complex lighting and scenery, to provide the flexibility needed for diverse types of performance, and to enhance the rapport between performers and audience. the two theaters are simple in design to ensure that the focus will remain on the performance.
project size: 107,612 square feet
project cost:: $62 million
architects: frank o. gehry
location: new york, usa |
