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The dramatic, multi-peaked Hult Center (1982) stands out as a performance venue, civic space and major work of architecture, designed by New York architect Norman Pfeiffer and the local firm of Lutes Amundson. Critics have called the Hult "unquestionably one of the two or three finest performing-arts complexes in the world." For the full effect, attend a performance; the incredibly busy center hosts hundreds of events annually. In addition to the work of eight resident groups, such as the Eugene Symphony Orchestra and the Eugene Ballet, the Hult Center stages Broadway shows and events from Riverdance and Mikhail Baryshnikov to Itzhak Perlman and Bobby McFerrin. Guided tours start in the soaring lobby, where a peaked ceiling mirrors the Cascade Mountains and enormous timber pillars evoke Oregon's forests. Next is the versatile 500-seat Soreng Theater and the 2,500-seat Silva Concert Hall, renowned for its bold design and superb acoustics. Note the basket-weave ceiling and the light, curved wood that roofs the mezzanine. Don't overlook the idiosyncratic art that crops up throughout the complex, such as the Anita Fisk bronze of a push-broom leaning against a wall.