Freedom Ring
The Philippines

Architectural + Planning Services

The outdoor amphitheater is one of the largest in Asia, located at the former Clark United States Air Force Base, in the shadows of volcanic Mount Pinatubo.  It is the dominant feature of the Philippine Centennial Exposition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Philippine liberation from Spanish rule.

A radial ring of towers-- remnants of the site’s previous use as a Cold War-era listening post-- generated the current site plan. The Freedom Ring is a perfect circle whose edges are defined by these towers, and whose center point lies directly at the amphitheater’s Center Stage.  All other elements (audience chamber, circulation, structural supports) are organized radially out from this point.

The three primary site elements: the landscape, the buildings and the canopy.  A rough stone and metallic stage house faces a carved and sculpted volcanic landscape covered by an expanse of light-weight structural forms.

The “Ring” site is 300 meters in diameter, with a capacity of 35,000 people.