Some buildings are designed to become landmarks. Others are designed to disappear. Concealed beneath the rolling hills of south-central Wisconsin, this 14,000-seat auditorium challenges conventional expectations by embedding one of the region's largest performance venues almost entirely within the landscape. The result is an immersive destination where architecture, engineering, and topography combine to create an experience that begins long before the audience enters the theater.

Developed as part of the Epic campus, the project reflects a vision that celebrates imagination, innovation, and a deep respect for the surrounding landscape. Rather than competing with its environment, the building becomes part of it.

Building Beneath the Hills

The design transforms the natural terrain into architecture. Carved nearly eighty feet into solid rock, the five-story venue is concealed beneath an eight-acre living roof that restores the site's rolling topography and minimizes the building's visual presence across the campus.

From many vantage points, the auditorium is virtually invisible. The landscape remains the defining feature, allowing visitors to experience the campus as an uninterrupted series of hills, meadows, and natural vistas while an extraordinary gathering space exists just below the surface.

This approach demonstrates how large civic-scale architecture can coexist with, rather than dominate, its environment.

An Experience Shaped by Wonder

The owner envisioned a venue that would inspire curiosity and delight, and that sense of whimsy guided the design throughout the project. The auditorium was conceived not simply as a performance space, but as an experience that unfolds through movement, discovery, and arrival.

Despite accommodating 14,000 occupants, careful attention was given to the audience experience at every scale. State-of-the-art audiovisual technology, clear sightlines, intuitive circulation, and efficient life-safety planning ensure that visitors experience both the excitement of a world-class venue and the comfort of a thoughtfully designed environment.

Behind the scenes, sophisticated planning allows thousands of guests to enter and exit safely and efficiently while preserving the immersive quality of the architectural experience.

Inspired by Wisconsin Geology

The exposed exterior emerges from the landscape as though it has been shaped by nature itself. Drawing inspiration from the limestone bluffs and weathered rock formations found throughout rural Wisconsin, the architecture blurs the boundary between natural geology and constructed form.

A large physical model was used throughout design to study the relationship between the building and the landscape, while a sculptor collaborated with the design team to refine the expressive rock formations that define the exterior. The resulting façade creates the impression that the auditorium has been revealed from the earth rather than constructed upon it.

A custom steel curtain wall introduces daylight into public spaces while contrasting the rugged stone forms with lightness and transparency, creating a memorable transition between the natural landscape and the spaces within.

Engineering at an Extraordinary Scale

Delivering a project of this complexity demanded close collaboration between architects, engineers, and builders. Excavating deep into bedrock, constructing a massive long-span roof, and accommodating significant program growth during design presented exceptional technical challenges.

To maintain an aggressive project schedule, the team employed an innovative roof-lift construction sequence that accelerated construction by approximately five months. This unconventional approach allowed the project to remain on schedule despite major increases in scope and the extraordinary engineering demands of the building.

The result demonstrates how creative problem-solving and integrated project delivery can transform complex construction challenges into successful outcomes.

Architecture That Disappears

The Epic Auditorium redefines the relationship between architecture and landscape. Rather than standing apart from its surroundings, the building becomes part of the terrain itself, allowing the natural environment to remain the dominant visual experience while concealing one of the largest performance venues in the region.

By combining imaginative design, advanced engineering, and a deep understanding of place, the project creates an unforgettable destination that surprises visitors, celebrates the landscape, and demonstrates how architecture can be both monumental and remarkably restrained.

Planning Principles

• Build with the Landscape – Integrate architecture into the natural terrain rather than imposing upon it.

• Experience First – Design memorable journeys that begin before visitors reach their destination.

• Engineering as Design – Embrace technical innovation to achieve ambitious architectural goals.

• Celebrate Natural Form – Draw inspiration from regional geology to create authentic connections between building and site.

• Invisible Impact – Minimize visual presence while maximizing performance, capacity, and user experience.

• Collaborative Innovation – Unite architecture, engineering, artistry, and construction to solve complex design challenges.

• Create Wonder – Design environments that inspire curiosity, imagination, and memorable experiences long after the event has ended.