Gorge Amphitheatre founders announce plans for new venue overlooking Columbia River. The founders of Washington's Gorge Amphitheatre are working on building a new venue near the famous open-air concert venue. The Hilltop, the arts and entertainment nonprofit run by Gorge founders Vince and Carol Bryan, announced yesterday that they've selected ZGF Architects to design The Grotto at The Hilltop, a new indoor concert hall rising above the Columbia River Gorge. Drawing inspiration from the basalt cliffs and expansive skies of the region, The Grotto is designed to emerge from and connect to the landscape and aspires to be the most sustainable performance venue in the country, according to a press release. ZGF is hailed by the Hilltop as one of the nation's leading environmentally sustainable architecture firms, with a portfolio that includes the California Science Center's Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, Google's Spruce Goose office, and the Navy SEAL Museum San Diego, among other projects. "We want the environment to be the structure for the architect to work with - not 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," Hilltop founder Vince Bryan said in a statement. Inside, the new venue will aim to "balance exceptional acoustics with an immersive audience experience," per the release. The Grotto is one of two new performance venues The Hilltop is building on its site in Quincy, Washington, to be set up as a nonprofit cultural destination "where arts, science, environment and the human experience come together," according to the group. Alongside educational prorams and community experiences, The Hilltop's inaugural SOAR Festival will debut on August 22, featuring performances by acclaimed producer, composer, and songwriter David Foster, Broadway vocalist Katharine McPhee, and the Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra. Fore more information, visit thehilltop.org. Featured image courtesy: ZGF Architects. Ohio-based journalist with a passion for culture and big basslines. Editor at EDM Maniac.

Premier David Eby advances B.C.-China co-operation on sustainable wood construction. July 15, 2026 By Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) Premier David Eby's visit to China formed part of British Columbia's broader mission to diversify and strengthen markets for B.C. forest products and sustainable building solutions. Through engagements in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong, the mission reinforced co-operation across the wood value chain - from policy development and industry adoption to commercial applications and market opportunities. The mission began in Beijing with a meeting between Premier Eby and Deputy Minister Song Youchun, China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD). The discussions built on the Memorandum of Understanding on Modern Wood Construction Co-operation, signed earlier this year during Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to China. As a key signatory to the agreement, British Columbia continues to play a central role in supporting co-operation on modern wood construction between Canada and China. The meeting provided an opportunity to reaffirm the shared commitment established through the MOU and to discuss its implementation. As China advances green development, urban renewal, rural revitalization, and high-quality housing initiatives, British Columbia's experience in sustainable forestry and wood construction provides a solid foundation for continued collaboration. The next stage of the mission focused on industry engagement and innovation. In Shanghai, Premier Eby participated in Building the Future with Wood: Canada-China Forum on Innovative Design for Modern Wood Structures, hosted in partnership with Canada Wood and East China Architectural Design Institute Co. Ltd. (ECADI) - one of China's most influential design organizations. With more than 4,500 professionals and a portfolio that includes many of China's landmark buildings and infrastructure projects, ECADI has contributed to many of China's major transportation, commercial, and civic projects. It is actively involved in research and development related to modern wood construction. The forum brought together architects, engineers, academics, and industry representatives to exchange knowledge on mass timber innovation, sustainable building technologies, and the use of Canadian wood products in modern wood construction. The event highlighted ongoing collaboration between ECADI and Canada Wood, including research on tall wood buildings and the Xi'an Taikoo Li development, which incorporates Canadian mass timber products. By connecting Canadian expertise directly with design professionals responsible for specifying building materials and systems, the forum helped strengthen technical co-operation and support the broader adoption of wood-based construction solutions in China. The final stage of the mission emphasized opportunities beyond the construction sector. In Guangdong Province, the Honourable Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportation and Transit and Government House Leader, led the British Columbia delegation in a visit to Hongyuan Home (Royal Saunas), one of the world's leading sauna manufacturers and a major user of Canadian western hemlock, which is distinguished for its stability, appearance, and performance in high-temperature environments. The visit highlighted the growing role of wood in premium consumer products and wellness applications, where material quality, durability, and sustainability are increasingly important. It also demonstrated how sustainable forestry resources from B.C. contribute to innovative consumer products and advanced manufacturing in international markets. Discussions with Hongyuan provided an opportunity to explore the continued use of B.C. wood products in value-added manufacturing. Together, these engagements reflected co-operation between British Columbia and China across policy development, building design, construction, and value-added manufacturing. The mission brought together government partners, design institutions, industry organizations, and manufacturers involved in advancing wood construction and expanding the use of B.C. wood products in China. FII provides blog stories and updates to keep the BC forest industry informed on its programs, partner activities and advancements in supporting the provincial forest sector. July 2, 2026 Forestry Innovation Investment recently partnered with architectural firm ZGF to publish Inside Wood, a technical handbook focused on the use... June 9, 2026 Interest in mass timber construction has grown in recent years. However, there has been limited research in B.C. on the... April 30, 2026 Across India, interest in wood-based construction is growing, particularly in resorts and vacation developments, driven in part by FII India's...