Dutch architecture practice Mecanoo has unveiled design for a new theatre at Massachusetts, which will be America’s "only purpose-built new dance theater" in the Berkshires, United States.

Called Doris Duke Theatre, the new theatre is located on Jacob’s Pillow’s beautiful destination campus in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts. Currently under construction at site, the new dance venue is set to open in 2025.

The reimagined Doris Duke Theatre occupies the site of the former studio theater from 1990, destroyed by fire in November 2020. 

Aerial rendering of the Jacob’s Pillow campus with the new Doris Duke Theatre. Rendering courtesy of Mecanoo Architects and Marvel

"One of the most technologically advanced dance venues"

By providing a makerspace for artists looking to include robotics, extended reality, artificial intelligence, and immersive platforms into live performances, the new theater hopes to become "one of the most technologically advanced dance venues" in the world. 

A spatial audio system, infrared camera tracking of artists for interactive video content, and live performance interactions with recorded/projected dance content are just a few of the features that the Doris Duke Theatre will include.

Rendering of the garden of the Doris Duke Theatre. Rendering © Marvel; courtesy of Jacob’s Pillow

"At the heart of the new Doris Duke Theatre lies a celebration of movement, space, and connection. Inspired by Mecanoo’s core values of ‘people, place, purpose, and poetry,’ the new theater captures the essence of dance, not only as an art form but as a deeply human experience intertwined with the landscape and community," said Francine Houben, Mecanoo’s Creative Director and Founding Partner. 

"Rooted in the rolling hills of the Berkshires, the theater honors the rich heritage of Jacob’s Pillow while pushing the frontiers of the performing arts."

"The design draws on the rhythms of nature, mirroring the fluidity and grace of dancers," Houben added.

Rendering of the Doris Duke Theatre Artist Quad. Rendering courtesy of Mecanoo Architects and Marvel

The former Duke's footprint was about 8,500 square feet (790 square meters), whereas the renovated Doris Duke Theatre will be about 20,000 square feet (1,858 square meters). 

The building can accommodate performances, events, residencies, and more, often all at once, according to the design's versatility in terms of many uses. With a variety of seating and stage arrangements, the theater can accommodate up to 220–400 people in the main performance area.

Thermally treated wood, which is intended to age elegantly over time, covers the theater's mass timber construction. As the seasons change, the building's natural elements convey a tale of light and shadow, time and change, an organic record of nature's dance. 

Rendering of the Doris Duke Theatre performance space. Rendering courtesy of Mecanoo Architects and Marvel

In a subtle gesture of balance between sustainability and design, rainwater is collected for later use, and the spacious veranda offers natural shade. 

The new Doris Duke Theatre is an enduring tribute to the force of dance, nature, and human creativity combined; it embraces the poetry of location through its form, purpose, and connection to the earth.

Marvel's landscape design for the new Doris Duke Theatre, which was inspired by the area's natural beauty, blends in with its surroundings and reflects the Berkshires' rich local biodiversity. In addition to celebrating the region's Indigenous past, this design fosters a strong bond between the performing arts and the natural world. 

Rendering of the Doris Duke Theatre performance space. Rendering courtesy of Mecanoo Architects and Marvel

In order to greet dancers and guests and to give areas for relaxation, practice, and celebration, the landscape design to the west of the theater forms a central quad that is framed by a sculpture known as a "scramble" formed of stone that is sourced locally. 

With a garden and a communal fire pit that honor the land's cultural traditions and acknowledge the original occupants who shape Jacob's Pillow and its vital identity, the landscapes created by Indigenous artists to the east showcase Indigenous knowledge.

The principal architect of the project is Mecanoo, a Netherlands-based firm headed by Creative Director and Founding Partner Francine Houben. 

Rendering of the quad lobby at the Doris Duke Theatre. Rendering courtesy of Mecanoo Architects and Marvel

Marvel, a New York-based architecture practice, is working as the local architect and landscape architect for the project. For the project, Charcoalblue is theater and acoustics design consultant. Jeffrey Gibson, Choctaw/Cherokee, is serving as a consultant on the building’s relationship to the site and Indigenous values, a key element of the building’s design.

Numerous communities and stories that have influenced and defined Jacob's Pillow will come on stage during the Doris Duke Theatre's inaugural celebration week, which will be marked by a ribbon-cutting and premiere performances on Wednesday, July 9, 2025.

Mecanoo transformed and revitalized the Perth's former City Hall with bronze and meticulously-designed details throughout the interior space. In addition, Mecanoo and Meng Architects, together with Lola Landscape Architects were selected as the winners of a highly competitive international design competition for the Shenzhen Guangming Scientist Valley in China. 

Top image in the article: Rendering of the Doris Duke Theatre East Entrance. Rendering by Marvel; courtesy of Jacob’s Pillow.

All images courtesy of Mecanoo and Marvel.

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