NYC Designer Chosen to Create Lake Forest's 'Ragdale Ring'

Ragdale, one of the country’s largest, non-profit artist residency programs, based in Lake Forest, has selected a New York design team create a new outdoor performance space called the "Ragdale Ring."

In January, Ragdale put out a nationwide invitation for contemporary interpretations of the original Ragdale Ring, an outdoor performance space designed by architect Howard Van Doren Shaw in 1912. A jury of architects and artists evaluated submissions and selected Stephen Dietrich Lee’s proposal for its visionary and functional design.

Lee, who is currently project manager at Sweeney & Conroy, Inc. in New York City, said he was "intrigued by the simplicity of manipulating a single, repetitive module to create a temporary Ragdale Ring that is both dramatic and functional."

The structure is based on a repetitive pattern of wooden elements that creates a dynamic, sculptural, lacework installation to define an outdoor performance area behind the historic Ragdale House.

"Stephen Lee’s winning design blurs the distinction between art and architecture, creating a dialogue between the two disciplines," said Zurich Esposito, who is executive vice president of the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) as well as a juror and member of Ragdale’s board of directors.

"The structure will serve as a gathering place, reinvigorating the historic campus of Ragdale as a place of dynamic artistic and architectural experimentation," he said.

The design team was awarded a $10,000 production grant to fund the project and a design/build residency of up to six weeks. Construction on the temporary structure will begin in May, with the public unveiling scheduled for a June 15 benefit at Ragdale. The unveiling will include open-air performances by nationally recognized musicians, dancers, actors, and poets.

Learn more about the Ragdale Ring project at www.ragdale.org/RagdaleRingProject.