Sun Valley Music Pavilion

Designed and built in less than 18 months, this open air concert venue combines a soaring peaked stage structure with a seasonal/removable tensile fabric canopy and support construction. With the resort’s signature Bald Mountain as a backdrop, audiences of up to 4,000 can enjoy world class events from pop acts to classical entertainment in the dramatic setting of the rugged Rockies.

Auerbach Pollock Friedlander was responsible for refining the original seating plan, improving sightlines and audience access. The firm also collaborated on the integrated design of the sophisticated concert ceiling, which contains traditional acoustic shaping for classical music while providing infrastructure to accommodate popular amplified acts. The support structure, an arrangement of curved metal trusses, forms the skeleton of the ceiling complementing the permanent steel roof; while a series of curved wood reflectors provides overhead acoustic support as well as the appropriate visual aesthetic. The range of acoustical requirements and accommodations for symphony concert lighting – all in an elegant and integrated design – were key requirements tempered by the reality that the venue would be partially warehoused during ski season. The wood acoustic reflectors are individually framed and easily removed for storage. Trusses may be stored at stage level or brought up to the roof and winches have covers and heater blankets to prevent damage during the winter.

Design Architect: FTL Design Engineering Studio
Architect of Record: Ruscitto/Latham/Blanton Architectura
Acoustics: Jaffe Holden
Cost: $14,000,000
Completion: 2008