“See you at the Tent!” is a common phrase heard all summer long in Aspen. However, the current Tent is not the only tent that has served as a gathering place and performance venue for the Festival, unsurprisingly. A few iterations have stood near its current location and have brought their own challenges for both the concertgoer and performer, alike, creating a unique and entertaining history to be remembered.
THE FIRST TENT
Eero Saarinen, a Finnish architect, was commissioned by the Paepckes to design the first festival “Tent,” which has become a symbol of our Festival over the years. The Saarinen Ten, as it has come to be called, only held 900 people; its roof was white, and its skirts orange, like those of circus tents. Concertgoers sat on wooden benches while the Festival’s benefactors sat on chairs at the front of the Tent. Ushers in the early days wore uniforms that matched the tent: white tops with orange on bottom. A very western color palette, indeed!
Moving away from its circus roots, Saarinen’s tent was designed without a center pole—as this creates obvious sightline issues for patrons—and utilized four poles partway round the perimeter, creating a “raised quadrangle” instead of a typical peak in the center of the tent. The entire structure was anchored by chains, using tension to keep the poles upright. When inclement weather rolled through Aspen, the fun at the Tent began.
Aspen 2020 : Thematic Connections and Historical Insights 