Rounds is the winning design for the 2016 Ragdale Ring international design-build competition and the recipient of the Adrian Smith Prize. The project is a temporary theater pavilion for the Ragdale Foundation, an artist colony 30 miles north of Chicago in the community of Lake Forest, Illinois. Departing from the convention of the bandshell structure and stage most commonly deployed in this setting, Rounds establishes a whimsical and inhabitable performance surface. Through a multiplicity of surface undulation types and sizes, Rounds encourages a multiplicity of performer to audience relationships, performance types, stage arrangements, and seating options, generating a versatile outdoor venue and a fully encompassing experience. Small-scale undulations in the ring surface act as a lounge spaces for viewers during performances, or artists to contemplate their work during non-performance times. Mid-scale undulations in the surface provide entrances to the inner space of the ring, while also providing smaller scale protected stage areas. The largest undulation is designed for the main stage area, a stage that can be broken down into smaller parts and distributed around the ring for several concurrent performances.
▼多样起伏的外貌，multiplicity of surface undulation types and sizes
▼创造多种休闲空间，creates multi spaces
▼装置拉近表演者与观看者的关系，Rounds encourages a multiplicity of performer to audience relationships
▼小幅度波动创造休闲区域， small-scale undulations in the ring surface act as a lounge spaces
▼最大幅度波动设计为表演舞台，the largest undulation is designed for the main stage area
