Architecture Awards

Applications for the 2024 Awards are open through September 1, 2023.

Sponsored by the USITT Architecture Commission, the Architecture Awards Program honors excellence in the design and recognize architects of theatre projects for 25 years.

Honor Awards (the highest designation) and Merit Awards are evaluated by a panel of distinguished jurors for:

  • Creative image
  • Contextual resonance
  • Community contribution
  • Explorations in new technologies
  • Functional operations

Past award winners have come from England, Germany, Japan, California, New York, and all points between.

Architecture Award Guidelines USITT Honors and Awards Policy

Past Winners

2023

Honor Award

Red Mountain Theatre Campus; Birmingham AL

  • Architecture Firm: Live Design Group
  • Theatre Consultant: TheatreDNA
  • Acoustical Consultant: SoundArts

TheatreSquared; Fayetville, AR

  • Architecture Firm: Marvel Designs​​​​​​​
  • Theatre Consultant: Charcoalblue​​​​​​​
  • Acoustical Consultant: Charcoalblue
2023

Merit Award

Patricia Reser Center for the Arts (The Reser); Beaverton, OR

  • Architecture Firm: Opis Architecture
  • Theatre Consultant: The Shalleck Collaborative
  • Acoustical Consultant: Stantec Consulting
2022

Honor Award

Klarman Hall; Boston

  • Architecture Firm: William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.
  • Theatre Consultant: Theatre Projects Consultants, Inc.​​​​​​​
  • Acoustical Consultant: Threshold Acoustics LLC
2022

Merit Awards

Tanglewood Linde Center for Music and Learning; Lenox, MA

  • Architecture Firm: William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.
  • Theatre Consultant: Nextstage Design LLC
  • Acoustical Consultant: Kirkegaard Associates

 

Gonzaga University Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center; Spokane, WA

  • Architecture Firm: Pfeiffer Partners Architects LLP
  • Theatre Consultant: Auerbach Pollock Friedlander
  • Acoustical Consultant: Threshold Acoustics LLC
2021

Honor Awards

Xiqu Centre, Hong Kong, China

Architecture Firm: Revery+RLP Company Limited
Theatre Consultant: Fisher Dachs and Associates
Acoustical Consultant: Sound Space Vision

Recital Hall, Pennsylvania State University

Architecture Firm: William Rawn Associates, Architects
Theatre Consultant: NextStage Design
Acoustical Consultant: Talaske

 

2021

Merit Awards

BAM Strong, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, New York

Architecture Firm: Mitchell Giurgola
Theatre Consultant: Auerbach Pollock Friedlander
Acoustical Consultant: Akustiks

Theatre and Dance Building - Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, St. Paul, Minnesota

Architecture Firm: HGA
Theatre Consultant: Schuler Shook
Acoustical Consultant: Threshold Acoustics

Rubenstein Arts Center, Durham, North Carolina

Architecture Firm: William Rawn Associates, Architects
Theatre Consultant: Theatre Projects Consultants
Acoustical Consultant: Threshold Acoustics LLC 

2020

Honor Award

Bristol Old Vic, Bristol, UK

Architecture Firm: Haworth Tompkins
Theatre Consultant: Charcoalblue
Acoustical Consultant: Charcoalblue

2020

Merit Awards

Hancher, Iowa City, Iowa

Architecture Firm: Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
Theatre Consultant: Theatre Projects Consultants
Acoustical Consultant: Kirkegaard Associates

The National Arts Centre Rejuvenation and Production Renewal, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Architecture Firm: Diamond Schmitt Architects
Theatre Consultant: Fisher Dachs Associates
Acoustical Consultant: Threshold Acoustics LLC

2019

Merit Awards

Bridge Theatre
London, United Kingdom
Architecture Firm: Haworth Tompkins
Stage Engineering Manufacturer: Tait Stage Technologies
Acoustical Consultant: Gilleron Scott Acoustic Design

DiMenna Center for Classical Music
New York, NY
Architecture Firm: H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture
Theatre Consultant: Auerbach Pollock Friedlander
Acoustical Consultant: Akustiks

Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Washington, D.C.
Architecture Firm: LBA-CGS Joint Venture, JV Partner Cox Graae + Spack Project Design Architecture
Theatre Consultant: Fisher Dachs Associates, Inc.
Acoustical Consultant: Polysonics Corporation

Royal Academy of Music
London, United Kingdom
Architecture Firm: Ian Ritchie Architects
Theatre Consultant: Fisher Dachs Associates, Inc.
Acoustical Consultant: Arup Acoustics

2018

Honor Awards

Ruth Caplin Theatre, University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
William Rawn Associates

2018

Merit Awards

Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre
Reykjavik, Iceland
Henning Larsen

2017

Merit Awards

Ascend Amphitheater
Nashville, Tennessee
Architect: Smith Gee Studio

Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, Kansas
William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.

Chapman University Musco Center for the Arts
Orange, CA.
Pfeiffer Partners Architects

Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA.
Snøhetta

Mount Royal University Taylor Centre for the Performing Arts
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Pfeiffer Partners Architects

2017

Honor Awards

Maltz Performing Arts Center, Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio
MGA Partners Architects

The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts at Queen’s University
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Snøhetta

Writers Theater
Glencoe, Illinois
Studio Gang

2016

Honor Awards

Everyman Theatre
Liverpool, UK
Haworth Tompkins

Salle de Spectacles de Mont-Laurier
Quebec, Canada
Les Architectes FABG

The Theatre School, De Paul University
Chicago, Illinois
Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects

2016

Merit Awards

State University of New York at Potsdam Performing Arts Center
Potsdam, New York
Pfeiffer Partners Architects

Stavanger Concert Hall
Stavanger, Norway
AIX Arkitekter AB

2015

Honor Awards

National Theatre of Bahrain
Paris, France
AS Architecture Studio

2015

Merit Awards

Reed College Performing Arts Building
Portland, OR.
Opsis Architecture LLP

MiltonCourt, Guidhall School Of Music and Drama
London, UK.
RHWL Arts Team
 

2014

Honor Awards

Seabury Hall Creative Arts Center
Maui, Hawaii
Flansburgh Architects    

2014

Merit Awards

Baryshnikov Arts Center, Jerome Robbins Theatre
New York, New York
WASA/Studio A Architects

Stanford University, Bing Concert Hall
Stanford, California
Ennead Architects

SFJAZZ Center
San Francisco, California
Mark Cavagnero Associates

2013

Merit Awards

Garsington Opera Pavilion, Wormsley Estate 
Stokenchurch, High Wycombe, United Kingdom
Snell Associates    
    
Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center, University of Texas of the Permian Basin        Midland, Texas    
Boora Architects
    
Valley Performing Arts Center
Northridge, California
HGA Architects and Engineers    
    
Rosie the Riveter Visitor and Education Center
Richmond, California   
Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects         
    
Kilden Performing Arts Center
Kristiansand, Norway
ALA Architects Ltd.

2012

Honor Awards

AT&T Performing Arts Center Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre
Dallas, Texas
REX | OMA Architects

Royal Shakespeare & Swan Theatres Transformation, Waterside
Stratford upon Avon, United Kingdom
Bennetts Associates 
 

2012

Merit Awards

Four Seasons Centre of the Performing Arts
Toronto, Ontario Canada
Diamond and Schmitt Architects    

Parabola Arts Centre, Cheltenham Ladies’ College
Cheltenham, United Kingdom
Foster Wilson Architects

Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center
Florence, South Carolina
Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture        

New York City Center
New York, New York
Ennead Architects        
    
Dancing Water Theater at City of Dreams
Macao SAR, China
Pei Partnership Architects LLP               

Rose Center for the Arts
Longview, Washington
Opsis Architecture        

Visual and Performing Arts Village
Aptos, California
HGA Architects and Engineers        

BodyVox Dance Center
Portland, Oregon
Boora Architects

Santa Barbara Bowl
Santa Barbara, California
Handel Architects

David L. Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts
Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Voith & Mactavish Architects, LLP
 

2011

Honor Awards

Arena Stage a the Mead Center for American Theater
    Washington, D.C.
    Bing Thom Architects, Inc.
 

2011

Merit Awards

Shalin Liu Performance Center for Rockport Music
Rockport, Massachusetts
Epstein Joslin Architects

Forbes Center for the Performing Arts, James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company

The 52nd Street Project
New York, New York
BKSK Architects, LLP

The Paramount Center, Emerson College
Boston, Massachusetts
Elkus Manfredi Architects
 

2010

Honor Awards

The Royal Conservatory of Music, TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning
Toronto, Canada
Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects
 

2010

Merit Awards

Vukovich Center for Communication Arts
    Meadville, Pennsylvania
    Polshek Partnership Architects

    Henry Miller’s Theatre
    New York, New York
    Cook and Fox Architects

    Winspear Opera House
    Dallas, Texas
    Foster + Partners

    Theatre De Quat’sous
    Montreal, Canada
    Les Architectes Fab G

    Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and Samueli Theater
    Costa Mesa, California
    Pelli Clarke Pelli

    Iwaki Performing Arts Center
    Fukushima, Japan
    Naomi Sato Architects & Shimizu Corporation

2009

Honor Awards

Norwegian National Opera and Ballet
Oslo, Norway
SnØhetta AS

The Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox
Spokane, Washington
    NAC|Architecture
 

2009

Merit Awards

California State University Fullerton Performing Arts Center
Fullerton, California
Pfeiffer Partners Architects

Charles R. Walgreen, Jr. Drama Center & Arthur Miller Theatre
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects

Mesa Arts Center
Mesa, Arizona
BOORA Architects