Stage design at the Hungarian State Opera

ArchiCAD is often used for purposes other than architecture, and our users continuously surprise us with their creativity. A common use, however, is stage and scene design for theaters, which is somewhat related to architecture — at least more related than tasks like warehouse logistics or crime scene reconstruction, just to mention a few other uses of ArchiCAD…

This year, the Hungarian State Opera recognized the need for modernization regarding stage design and ArchiCAD was evaluated during the summer break between the seasons. It was an obvious choice, given that many architects who use ArchiCAD are already working on theatrical projects.

Two projects, the sets for Swan Lake and The Marksman were designed and developed in parallel by two architecture students working in close contact with the Art Director of the Opera, which also included the modeling and surveying of the auditorium and the backstage areas. The different phases were shared with the directorate via GRAPHISOFT BIMx; by the end of the evaluation, basic assembly drawings were also created.

These few weeks of work were finalized with a presentation by the Art Director, who introduced the improved efficiency of the BIM workflow to the crew. Many different people involved with stage design — even those who are not actual builders but decorators, costume designers, choreographers, and lighting crew — soon realized the benefits of working with a 3D model versus simple 2D drawings.

One of the main benefits was the ease of coordination – long distance model sharing without the need for personal meetings during the break and the precision of the assembly schedules.

Those not familiar with BIM at all just loved the option of being able to save different views from major seat positions like the front or last rows, the last rows of the top balconies, and so on.

It’s no surprise that ArchiCAD has become the latest full-time employee of the Hungarian State Opera!