Bengt Sjostrom Starlight Theatre / Studio Gang

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Text description provided by the architects. Rock Valley College wanted to develop a new regional facility for the performing arts at Starlight Theatre to replace an existing outdoor venue. Expanded facilities and a roof enclosure were needed so that performances could go on without the threat of rainouts. At the same time, there was a strong desire to maintain the sense of being outdoors. Encompassing over 135,000 S.F., the new theatre and lawn seating maintains 100% accessible pathways and strong visual connections to the surrounding campus. Under the folded, origami-like roof, an intimate social setting is created with a porous boundary to the landscape. The central theatre space forms an unexpected vertical axis to the sky; an observatory to the stars through a kinetic roof that opens in fair weather. Starlight has become a popular regional destination since its opening in 2003.