“THE GREATEST NEW THEATER IN THE WORLD”
Despite the flexibility of its design, its movable towers interlock in such a way as to feel comfortingly permanent. Remarkably, The Yard, now one of the largest stage houses in the city, comes with the equalizing, noir aura of a black-box warehouse but still feels married to heft, comfort and cultural gravitas. There will be great work done here for all, given Chicago Shakespeare’s fantastic commitment to bring us the best of the world of performance.”
“MIND-BLOWING... A THEATER WHERE THE SEATS CAN LITERALLY FLOAT IN MIDAIR AND THE STAGE CAN MORPH INTO JUST ABOUT ANY SHAPE IMAGINABLE.”
“AN ELEGANT, INDUSTRIAL-STYLE BEAUTY.”
An extraordinary example of architectural, engineering and theatrical re-purposing, The Yard marks the transformation of a single, large, underused outdoor venue into an enclosed structure whose nine, steel ‘towers’ can be easily moved into 10 dramatically different configurations, conforming to the scale and spirit of each production.”
“INNOVATIVE, AMBITIOUS, ROBUST...
THE YARD EMBODIES THE CITY’S ARCHITECTURAL SPIRIT”
“THE CITY’S SLICKEST NEW PERFORMANCE SPACE”
“Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the venerable Navy Pier institution, may seem an unlikely candidate to construct it... But as Barbara Gaines, CST’s founder and longtime artistic director, says, ‘Reinvention was Shakespeare’s middle name.’”
“AN ARTISTIC LEAP FORWARD”
"The supple indoor edifice is both economically and environmentally sustainable. Connected by a two-level glass lobby to CST’s two-stage headquarters, the facility can seat 150–850 patrons, depending on the configuration. That flexibility is the new venue’s calling card. More than just a malleable black box, The Yard can efficiently rearrange its contents...shape-shifting that can serve any show and inspire them as well.”
HONORABLE MENTION, INNOVATION AWARD: STELLAR DESIGN
“The architects balanced numerous design and constructability challenges to deliver a project that beautifully blends difficult existing conditions with a technically demanding program. The project’s flexible and sustainable use of space allows for multiple configurations and full utilization of the site in a way that can evolve with future programming. From the project delivery, its use of technology and design creativity, this project elevates the real demands of audience experience, structure, and systems configuration to expand the artistic possibilities.”
Explore more press features on The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare
Chicago Tribune’s Blair Kamin on The Yard
“The seating arrangement, while straightforward in character, has a built-in intimacy; the towers form a series of neighborhoods within the theater as a whole.”