Founded 1962 — New York
Architecture for the
performing arts.
H3 designs theaters, performing arts centers, and cultural facilities that transform institutions and anchor communities. We are the inheritors of Hugh Hardy’s singular legacy.
View our work
“H3 took our vision — that all the theatre’s elements, its configuration, acoustics, sightlines, and uniformity of color — combine to create a level of intimacy between audience and performer, and result in what we consider to be the ultimate black box theatre.”
— Dorothy Ryan, Managing Director, Theatre for a New Audience
“Hugh Hardy was able to understand this building’s original intent and how to ensure its adaptation for use in the twenty-first century. The illuminated volume of the new theater energizes the entire façade seen at night across the great plaza. We regard ourselves as fortunate to have had this long term working relationship.”
— Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer, Lincoln Center Theater
New construction, renovation, and restoration of performance venues of every scale — from intimate black boxes to 3,000-seat houses. Every project begins with the performers and the audience, not the envelope.
Academic performing arts facilities that serve students, faculty, and the broader community simultaneously — balancing education, production values, and the earned revenue goals that sustain every institution.
Deep expertise in restoring and modernizing landmark theaters — inserting 21st-century production technology while honoring the original design intent. We have worked on some of New York’s most beloved houses.
Museums, libraries, civic centers, and parks that become places of gathering. We design for the public realm because we believe place-making builds communities.
Adjustable acoustics, state-of-the-art lighting, audio and video integration, flexible seating configurations, and backstage planning that supports the full range of professional production demands.
We partner with institutions at the earliest stages — conducting needs assessments, site analyses, and community engagement processes that form the foundation of projects built to last.
Architectural Record
Theatre for a New Audience brings a powerful new presence to the BAM Cultural District
The New York Times
A theater built for the work — not the spectacle
American Theatre
H3’s Alabama performing arts center sets a new standard for academic facilities
Architect Magazine
The Hugh Hardy legacy: sixty years of architecture in the public realm