Bjarke Ingels' firm BIG has been selected to revitalize the 56-year-old Delacorte Theater as part of The Public’s 10-year strategic plan in Central Park of New York. 

Housing to the popular, large-scale production Free Shakespeare in the Park, BIG will closely be working with The Public, NYC Parks, Central Park Conservancy, the Landmarks Commission and other community members and stakeholders to open up many more possibilities for free theater in the Park while accentuating and respecting its natural surroundings.

The goal of the project is based on two major design principles: First, BIG's new scheme will expand access to its beloved summer programs – not by adding more seats or expanding the theater's footprint in the park, but by streamlining operations and improving efficiencies to shorten the amount of time between productions. 

In this way,  the Delacorte Theater will be able to have more performances into each season, and provide more free theater for all.

Second, the project will be able to address critical infrastructure and accessibility challenges and provide a better, more comfortable experience for audiences, artists, and staff for years to come.

"Our priority has always been and will always be to protect and honor our home, Central Park. It is one of the most beautiful and democratic spaces in our city – the backdrop to every performance and an inspiration in our work," said the organizers of the Delacorte Theater.

"Over the next several months we will be working closely alongside city officials, NYC Parks, Central Park Conservancy, the Landmarks Commission, the DCLA, our community partners, and other key stakeholders as our planning takes shape."

The Delacorte Theater was built in the late 1950s and it attracted over 5 million people inside the Delacorte to experience world class Shakespeare and other productions at no-cost. The mission of The Public and Free Shakespeare in the Park has remained constant. Today, our mission is being pursued in a much-evolved context, and with new standards and new needs. 

The Delacorte has only had minor upgrades over the past 56 years. Today, the theater is not fully able to meet the needs of the top-tier productions that call it home. The theater’s popularity has surged over its lifespan, and it has outgrown its existing infrastructure in almost every measureable way: from providing sufficient resources and space for staff and artists to ensuring equitable access and comfort for audiences.

Presently, BIG hasn't proposed conceptual designs yet as the project is still in the early planning stage. The organization plans to begin construction in the fall of 2020. More news on concept and timeline will be shared as the planning takes shape and is announced.  

Top image courtesy of The Public

> via BIG & The Public