  We describe the design and performance of the Solar Tower Atmospheric
Cherenkov Effect Experiment detector in its initial configuration (STACEE-32).
STACEE is a new ground-based gamma ray detector using the atmospheric Cherenkov
technique. In STACEE, the heliostats of a solar energy research array are used
to collect and focus the Cherenkov photons produced in gamma-ray induced air
showers. The large Cherenkov photon collection area of STACEE results in a
gamma-ray energy threshold below that of previous detectors.
