The main structure of Drive-in and Park is a 53-foot-tall band shell/drive-in movie screen made from water jet-cut steel plates. The top portion of the structure is flat, allowing for the movie to be projected, but at the base, the triangular steel plates form a concave depression that acts as a band shell, taking advantage of lawn-style seating for intimate live performances.
The ground plane is graded to maximize sight lines: precisely angled slopes for pickup trucks and for compact cars (which have different ranges of vision, depending on the height of the vehicle); and a seating bowl up front for people who wish to sit outside.
The concave portion of the band shell/movie screen is constructed from a series of triangular steel plates . Plans such as these will be used to help direct construction, as the water jet-cut pieces of steel will be welded on site.
For a refined design of the steel skin, the architects commissioned a full-scale mock-up of a section of the band shell/projection screen. The same material system encloses a multipurpose structure near the entrance to the site.
A two-story structure at the front of the site serves as a point of entry and a combined services center for the drive-in; it houses a ticket and concession stand on the first story and a projection room on the second.
