The Laurence Frost Amphitheater is a stunning historic tree-lined, terraced, grass bowl that holds up to 6,900 people. Since it’s completion in 1937, the amphitheater has been host to intimate Stanford community events, commencement ceremonies, popular musical acts like The Grateful Dead, speeches by prominent dignitaries, and classical concerts complete with fireworks. To continue providing this rich range of events the venue needed a network of accessible pathways, new guest amenities, a new service/stage entrance, upgrades to the lighting and sound infrastructure, and a stage building with canopy to protect and frame the performers.
CAW’s design decisions were driven by the desire to maximize modernization while minimizing visual impacts to the graceful site. New access to the amphitheater was achieved by strategically connecting level points at the interior and exterior of the bowl with tunnels and small cuts through the tree covered slopes. All new guest amenities are located in a linear gate building that straddles the fenced edge of the site. The stage building is shielded by a curving stone wall that gently dies into the sloping landscape — while the curved wooden canopy completes the line tree canopy that border the stage. All interventions at the site greatly increase the functionality of the amphitheater as a modern performance venue while preserving the visual continuity and natural beauty of the tree enclosed bowl.
