The Hilltop Selects ZGF Architects to Design The Grotto, a World Class Performance Venue Above the Columbia
Press Release
THE HILLTOP
In collaboration with ZGF Architects
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Hilltop Selects ZGF Architects to Design The Grotto, a World-Class Performance Venue Above the Columbia
Concept design is now underway for the concert hall, conceived by the founders of the legendary Gorge Amphitheatre.
QUINCY, Wash. — August 3, 2026 — The Hilltop, a nonprofit where arts, science, environment, and human experience come together, today announced that it has selected ZGF Architects to design The Grotto at The Hilltop, a world-class concert hall and cultural destination rising above the Columbia. Conceived by Vince and Carol Bryan, founders of the legendary Gorge Amphitheatre, The Grotto will bring a new venue to one of the most iconic landscapes in the region.
The Grotto will pair performance with the natural grandeur of its setting. ZGF was awarded the project based on the firm’s extensive experience delivering award-winning cultural, civic, and sustainable architecture that strengthens communities.
Designed to emerge from and connect to the landscape, The Grotto draws inspiration from the basalt cliffs and expansive skies above the Columbia. Inside, the architecture gives way to moments of delight that balance exceptional acoustics with an immersive audience experience.
The Hilltop believes a building in a landscape this extraordinary should give something back to it, and aspires for The Grotto to be the most sustainable performance venue in the country — one designed around energy, water, and materials, and built to last for generations.
“We are thrilled to partner with Vince and Carol and The Hilltop on their extraordinary vision for a landmark arts and cultural destination above the Columbia,” said Haruka Saito, Principal, ZGF. “It’s an incredible honor to help bring their vision to life and deliver a venue that will celebrate the arts, the environment, and the community for generations.”
“We want the environment to be the structure for the architect to work with — not to impose a structure on it, but to look to the environment as it is, embracing the elements where they are, and allowing them to dictate the structure,” said Vince Bryan, founder of The Hilltop. “In ZGF, we found a partner who understands that.”
Concept design for The Grotto at The Hilltop is now underway.
About The Hilltop
The Hilltop is a nonprofit cultural destination Above the Columbia in Quincy, Washington, where arts, science, environment, and the human experience come together. Founded by the team behind the legendary Gorge Amphitheatre, The Hilltop is building two new performance venues overlooking the gorge alongside educational programs and community experiences. Its inaugural SOAR Festival debuts August 22, 2026. Learn more at thehilltop.org.
About ZGF
Climate, context, and community are elemental to every project across ZGF’s diverse portfolio of work. Evolving from one office with strong regional roots in the Pacific Northwest to a global portfolio, the firm’s national reputation was honored with the American Institute of Architects’ Architecture Firm Award, recognizing the firm’s “high standards, humanistic concerns, and unique ability to capture the spirit of a place and the aspirations of its inhabitants.” To learn more, visit www.zgf.com.
Media Contacts
The Hilltop: Heather Finch, Marketing Director, info@thehilltop.org
ZGF Architects: Bailey Thompson, bailey.thompson@zgf.com
Renderings courtesy of ZGF Architects.
