{"id":215310,"date":"2026-08-28T12:56:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T16:56:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/?p=215310"},"modified":"2026-08-28T12:56:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T16:56:57","slug":"from-building-design-to-stage-design-versatile-theater-set-piece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/from-building-design-to-stage-design-versatile-theater-set-piece\/","title":{"rendered":"From building design to stage design: Versatile theater set piece"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Four<\/a>
Photo courtesy Michael Maher<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An unprecedented engineering project recently required the Kingspan Light + Air team to expand the application of high-performance building systems beyond traditional architecture and into theatrical stage design. In an inventive intersection of art and science,\u00a0 Kingspan Light + Air partnered with New Village Arts (NVA) theatre company in Carlsbad, Calif., to design a highly versatile set structure for the new sci-fi play The\u00a0Apiary<\/em>.<\/p>\n

It required a custom-engineered, large-scale set structure with six modular translucent polycarbonate panels to form a hexagonal, interactive set volume. Designed to interact with immersive visual technology while maintaining modularity and durability, the structure also provides a sustainable framework that can be reused in future productions.<\/p>\n

Beyond serving as a visual and narrative centerpiece throughout the show\u2019s regional premiere in February 2026, the project introduces new potential applications for translucent cladding systems. It highlights emerging opportunities for sustainable set design.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Kingspan Light + Air engineered a custom set piece for New Village Arts\u2019 play The Apiary to specifically achieve dynamic interactions between light, projection, and movement onstage. Photo courtesy Michael Maher<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Artistic and technical challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The NVA creative team first visited the Kingspan Light + Air office to test how video projections interacted with the polycarbonate surface of the translucent wall systems. Right away, they recognized the potential solution for their elaborate set of requirements.<\/p>\n

With The Apiary<\/em> portraying a futuristic workplace drama inside a synthetic honeybee laboratory, the creative team sought to construct a capacious \u201capiary box\u201d for the stage with a wide range of capabilities. Intended to serve as the central set piece throughout the show, the apiary needed to function as both an architectural structure and storytelling device.<\/p>\n

The set piece is specifically needed to achieve\u00a0dynamic interactions between light, projection, and movement onstage, serving as an instrumental vessel for showcasing key visual effects, supporting actors\u2019 interaction, and displaying shifting visuals to heighten tension and elicit targeted audience reactions.<\/p>\n

To meet the creative team\u2019s extensive needs, the following design details had to be taken into account:<\/p>\n