Doris Duke Theatre
The original 8,500 square foot Doris Duke Theatre was a cultural mainstay in Becket, Massachusetts, and beyond for thirty years. Tragically, it was lost to a fire of undetermined cause in November 2020. Jacob's Pillow, a 220-acre National Historic Landmark that is also home to the nation's longest-running international dance festival, has taken it upon itself to rebuild and expand it to 20,000 square feet it with the aid of a dream design team and Allegrone's construction experts.
- Preconstruction
- Construction Management
The dance of the future
The reimagined Doris Duke Theatre is approximately 20,000 sq. ft., compared with the former Duke’s roughly 8,500 sq. ft. footprint. The design allows for multi-use flexibility, so that the building can support performances, events, residencies, and more, sometimes simultaneously. The flexible seating configurations can accommodate 220 - 400 depending on the size of the performance space, with an array of seating and stage configurations.
The building features two lobbies with sliding doors, which create multiple entrances and exits to the building. The Jameson Family Lobby on the west side of the building serves to welcome visitors in from a spacious artist quadrangle, and also provides a covered and ventilated space for pre-show talks alongside a new exhibition space. The Forest Studio on the east side of the building serves as a warm-up and rehearsal space for artists, and can also host receptions and meetings as needed.
Imagined, made real
Designed by internationally acclaimed Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo, the new Doris Duke Theatre provides an immersive venue that supports year-round needs, while retaining an open and porous feeling that is engaged and deeply connected to the natural world around it. The design aims to maintain the intimacy of the former studio theater, while at the same time providing a makerspace with a technological foundation, enabling emerging and seasoned artists to develop groundbreaking works at the intersection of dance and technology. From streaming to motion-capture, coding with AI in robotics to immersive digital art, the Doris Duke Theatre brings physical and virtual audiences together in a rich, creative space dedicated to the dance of tomorrow.
Photos courtesy of Jacob's Pillow
The design creates a year-round space that will serve as an incubator for a new generation of artists seeking to integrate technology into live performance and create art native to the digital realm.”
Executive & Artistic Director, Jacob's Pillow
Jacob's Pillow breaks ground on the rebuild of the Doris Duke Theatre, a flexible theater on the site of the original theatre, which was lost to a fire of undetermined cause in November 2020.
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