Crested Butte Performing Arts Center

Crested Butte Performing Arts Center

Crested Butte is a quaint mountain town in the Rocky Mountains, prized for its world class skiing. This project was completed in response to a Request for Proposal to design a Performing Arts Center next to the ski mountain. The residents requested a space for live performances that would bring in more revenue during the summer months when skiing takes a pause.  The design was inspired by the surrounding mountainous environment with a balance between rigidity and flexibility that is found in nature. The columns in the lobby are constructed of natural tree trunks, mirroring nearby pine forests. Local stone and wood are used on the façade to echo the Rocky Mountains. 

The Performing Arts Center has two stories. In addition to the theater, the center features a café, a ballroom, outdoor fire pits, and a double-high atrium in the lobby with floor to ceiling glazing to allow for natural daylight. There is a bridge running through the atrium, where people can be seen walking between the balcony and the café. At night, the structure acts as a lantern as the extensive windows fill with light from the interior, bringing light to the ski lodges after the mountain closes.