Benedict Music Tent

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In 1997, the Music Associates of Aspen selected Harry Teague Architects and an acoustical consultant to propose strategies for an overall facility improvement of the 1964 Bayer-

Benedict Music Tent. Among the complaints shared by audience and performers alike were a canvas that leaked during rainstorms, long lines at public restrooms during intermissions

and cramped conditions in the backstage building. The design team’s primary objective, however, was to improve the vastly deficient acoustical performance of the tent.

The new design includes tent fabric supported by a disk-shaped steel frame, 100 feet in diameter and elliptical in section, the center of which is located 48 ft above the audience. The

top surface of the disc is clad in wood and glass panels, providing the desired sound reflectivity for the audience while allowing for light infiltration. The tent fabric, a state-of-the-art Teflon coated glass-fibre, in conjunction with the steel disc, is engineered to withstand Aspen’s

heavy snow loads and remains in place year-round.

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Awards

Honor Award, AIA Western Mountain Region, 2003

Honor Award, Interior, AIA Colorado West Chapter, 2000

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Publications

Architectural Record, "Benedict Music Tent," July 2001

Aspen Magazine, "The Best of Aspen A-Z: M- Music Tent," Midwinter 2001

Colorado Construction Review, "Benedict Music Tent," 2001

Aspen Magazine, "A New Home for Music," Midsummer 2000

Aspen Music Festival & School, "Benedict Music Tent," Summer 2000