Ragdale Ring Competition

Chicago, Illinois

With Aryan Khalighy - Ramtin Taherian

Year: 2026

The proposed Ragdale Ring is a square, open air performance structure organized around three sides of stepped seating and one open edge facing the landscape. Conceived as an arena, the project emphasizes collective presence by bringing audience, performer, and environment into a shared spatial condition. Rather than enclosing performance, the structure frames it, embedding activity within the everyday life of Ragdale’s landscape. The square plan establishes clarity, while the stepped seating creates an intimate yet flexible setting for music, dance, readings, and educational programs. The open side functions as a deliberate absence, referencing the theatrical fourth wall while allowing the Ring to expand toward the lawn. This openness supports a range of event sizes without imposing a fixed front or hierarchy. The project is constructed almost entirely from standard 2x4 dimensional lumber, using typical American framing systems and widely available details. Framing, seating, and structure follow a repetitive modular logic assembled through dry connections, allowing efficient construction, adjustment during installation, and clean disassembly at the end of the season. The Ring does not conceal how it is made; its construction logic remains visible and legible throughout. An exterior shell of standard 2 foot by 8 foot brushed aluminum composite panels wraps the outer face of the structure, oriented toward the landscape rather than the performance space. Selective cuts within the panels reveal portions of the underlying wood framing, allowing structure and surface to read together. The semi-reflective skin mirrors trees, sky, and changing daylight, enabling the building to visually fade into the lawn over time. The performance area accommodates an approximately 24 by 24 foot space supported by the surrounding seating geometry, reinforcing a sense of shared ground between performers and audience. Outside of scheduled events, the stepped seating doubles as an informal gathering space for everyday use.Ultimately, the project treats the Ragdale Ring not as a temporary monument but as a temporary commons. Built from familiar materials, standard framing systems, and transparent construction logic, it prioritizes flexibility, accessibility, and reuse, extending Ragdale’s tradition of collective gathering through architecture that is both precise and ordinary.