Wednesday, June 15, 2011

New Bandstand - "The Butterfly"

When the West Point Community Theatre received permission from the City of West Point to landscape the two parcels of land north of the theatre, plans included room for an outdoor performance space. Shortly after, an anonymous donor stepped forward to make this space possible.


Architect Eddy Santamaria of Contrivium Design + Urbanism in Omaha was enlisted to help design a truly unique and beautiful structure that would be appropriate for the setting and a statement about West Point and the arts.


What resulted is known as "The Butterfly," which was inspired by the notion of making something that reflected and identified with the artistic emphasis of the West Point community as well as the renewal of our historic theatre. The intention was also to create a structure that acts as a sculpture when it is not in use.


One of the most unique features about The Butterfly is the fact that the "wings" will be movable. During the spring and summer months, the structure will be open, as depicted above. During the fall and winter months, the wings will be closed, as shown below. The large wings also serve the very practical purpose of shading the audience from the western sun during evening performances.
The underside of the wings of The Butterfly will also be illuminated by colored lights to strengthen the visual impact during the evening hours.


The West Point Community Theatre is anxiously awaiting the completion of this project, which will add a lineup of summer and fall concerts and productions to take place in this magnificent new space.

If you are interested in following the progress of the bandstand construction or theatre renovation, find us on Facebook or send a note to wpcommunitytheatre.info[at]gmail.com to be added to our monthly e-newsletter list.

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