Congratulations to our Architecture Award winners in the honor and merit categories! Our Architecture Award winners will be honored on Thursday, March 6, at our Awards Awards Awards ceremony in Columbus as part of our USITT25 Conference & Stage Expo. Join us for the ceremony, and afterward be one of the first on the Expo floor as our winners drop the rope and open it for attendees!

Sponsored by the USITT Architecture Commission, the Architecture Awards Program honors excellence in design and has recognized architects of theatre projects for 25 years.

Honor Award: The Tom Patterson Theatre

Stratford, ON
Owner: Stratford Festival Theatres 
Architect: Hariri Pontarini Architects
Theatre Consultants: Fisher Dachs Associates
Acoustic Consultants: Aercoustics Engineering

“'The Arts never get nice things' is a statement all too true for many in the nonprofit arts sector. In a climate of constant struggle, venues are often charged with being a little bit of everything and subsequently end up being vague and misappropriated. However, once in a rare while, the stars align perfectly. A theatre company is granted the extraordinary opportunity to collaborate with a world-class architectural firm, and a clear, visionary design for a state-of-the-art venue emerges. The result? A breathtaking example of what every theatre should aspire to be.

In this rare and remarkable instance, the arts community has indeed received something truly extraordinary. The partnership between our theatre staff and the architectural firm resulted in a venue that is not only visually stunning and supportive of every artistic endeavor but also timeless in design and at the forefront of modern technology. This theatre will undoubtedly serve as a sanctuary for creative brilliance for generations to come." -The Tom Patterson Theatre

Merit Award: Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts at Colby College

Waterville, ME
Owner: Colby Arts College
Architect: William Rawn Associates
Theatre Consultant: Nextstage Design
Acoustical Engineer: Kirkegaard
 

“Our new building is a stunningly beautiful facility, but that only tells a small piece of the story. It is a technically sophisticated building that invites explorations of new artistic expression in ways that will ensure our performing arts programs flourish. It is a center of creativity that will offer all students the opportunity to engage in the creative process, push the boundaries of what they thought possible, and take that spirit of innovation into other disciplines and ultimately into their lives and work.” -Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts

Merit Award: Ohio State University Arts District

Columbus, OH
Owner: Ohio State University
Architect: DLR Group in collaboration with Robert A.M. Stern Architects; RAMSA
Theatre Consultant: DLR Group
Acoustic Consultant: DLR Group

"The design creates a high-quality learning environment for interaction across all arts disciplines. The performance and production spaces are arranged to expose their interiors outward through a shared arts plaza and public social spaces which invite all to participate in the artistic endeavors within. The primary social spaces span the entire frontage of both buildings, visually and physically open to all in the campus and greater community." -Ohio State University Arts District