December 2010
The Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts in Ontario has received the Jury’s Choice award at the recent 10th annual Wood Works! Awards. Sponsored by Ontario Wood Works and the Canadian Wood Council, the programme recognises people and organisations that are advancing the use of wood in construction.
The striking new performance venue is an important cultural centre in the community. The 630-seat facility has been designed to be flexible so as to meet the requirements of the wide range of uses, from live stage events to public functions. The design preserves and integrates the former Richmond Hill High School, a listed heritage building in the town’s historic core.
Wood plays an important role in the theatre, both acoustically and aesthetically. Wood veneer panels on the interior of the horseshoe-shaped auditorium disperse and reflect sound from the stage, and wood presents a warm visual element on the walls of the public lobbies.
Halcrow Yolles provided the structural engineering services for this important contribution to the town’s cultural legacy.