jacob’s pillow announces opening for landmark new dance theater by mecanoo

cutting-edge ‘doris duke theatre’ to complete july 2025

The Doris Duke Theatre, a state-of-the-art venue designed by Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo, will officially open on July 9, 2025, at Jacob’s Pillow in Massachusetts. The theater, part of the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival — America’s longest-running international dance festival — will set a new benchmark as one of the world’s most technologically advanced spaces dedicated to dance. The new Doris Duke Theatre replaces the former studio theater, which was destroyed by fire in November 2020. Envisioned as a hub for innovation and topped by a lush green roof, the theater will enable artists to explore cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, extended reality, and robotics. Advanced features like spatial audio systems and infrared camera tracking will enhance live performances, allowing for interaction between performers and digital media.

Sam Gill, President and CEO of the Doris Duke Foundation, said: ‘There is one constant at Jacob’s Pillow: pushing boundaries. The new Doris Duke Theatre exemplifies this tradition, making possible new forms of expression and new ways to move audiences. It’s not just a new theater — it’s a new chapter for Jacob’s Pillow and for American dance.’

aerial rendering of Jacob’s Pillow campus with new Doris Duke Theatre, rendering courtesy Mecanoo Architects and Marvel

Architecture by mecanoo Rooted in Nature and Innovation

Designed by architecture firm Mecanoo together with U.S.-based studio Marvel, the 20,000-square-foot Doris Duke Theatre more than doubles the size of its predecessor, accommodating up to 400 patrons in a versatile performance space at Jacob’s Pillow. Its mass timber structure, clad in thermally treated pine, integrates harmoniously with the Berkshire landscape. Sustainability is a cornerstone of the design, with features such as rainwater collection and a veranda for natural shading. The building’s form and materials reflect the rhythm of the surrounding environment, offering a contemporary yet timeless aesthetic.

The opening season of the theater will feature a mix of U.S. and international artists. These include Faye Driscoll, Shamel Pitts, Andrew Schneider, Elle Sofe Company (Norway), Eun-Me Ahn (Korea), and Huang Yi (Taiwan). Highlights include Andrew Schneider’s world premiere HERE, Shamel Pitts’ Touch of RED, and the U.S. debut of Elle Sofe Company’s Vástádus eana — the answer is land. Some artists, including Schneider and Pitts, will also create digital-first works, broadening access to audiences worldwide.

Doris Duke Theatre East Entrance, rendering by Marvel, courtesy Jacob’s Pillow

honoring the context of jacob’s pillow

The landscape surrounding Mecanoo’s project is designed by Marvel in collaboration with Indigenous artists to underscore the theater’s connection to its site at Jacob’s Pillow and its Indigenous history. A communal fire pit and garden celebrate Indigenous knowledge, while locally-sourced stone creates sculptural elements that provide spaces for gathering and reflection. The project integrates cultural traditions with modern design, ensuring that Jacob’s Pillow remains a space of cultural dialogue and creative exploration.

Mecanoo led the project under the direction of Francine Houben, in partnership with New York-based firm Marvel. Charcoalblue contributed expertise in theater and acoustics, while Jeffrey Gibson, a Choctaw/Cherokee artist, advised on integrating Indigenous values into the design. The result is a theater that respects tradition while pushing the boundaries of contemporary performance spaces.

Doris Duke Theatre Artist Quad, rendering courtesy Mecanoo Architects and Marvel

Opening week will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony, performances, and community events that celebrate the architecture by Mecanoo and highlight Jacob’s Pillow’s legacy. The inaugural exhibition, Hyperreal Futures: Choreographing the Algorithmic Body, curated by Katherine Helen Fisher, will showcase interactive installations that explore the intersection of the physical and digital. Indigenous artist Brenda Mallory’s work will also be prominently featured in the theater’s lobby, further connecting the venue to its cultural and historical context.

Francine Houben, Mecanoo’s Creative Director and Founding Partner, said: ‘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.

‘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.’

Doris Duke Theatre performance space, rendering courtesy Mecanoo Architects and Marvel