pierre yovanovitch adds sweeping curves & movable walls to theater basel's new opera set

pierre yovanovitch brings to life a new set design for ‘rigoletto’

Pierre Yovanovitch completes a captivating set design for Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Rigoletto’ production, running from January 21st to June 21st, 2023, at Theater Basel in Switzerland. As a longtime opera enthusiast, the French interior and furniture designer was thrilled to have acclaimed director Vincent Huguet invite him onboard this project, expanding his signature strokes and aesthetics to the theater world.

The production tells the story of Rigoletto, a lowly court jester who works at the court of Mantua run by a cocky Duke who boasts of his long list of lovers and humiliates his subordinates. While typically playing cruel jokes on the duke’s ‘victims’, Rigoletto’s world comes crashing down when Gilda, his daughter, attracts his master’s attention. With a focus on a tragic storyline and the universal themes of vengeance, naivety, and power, Yovanovitch has conceptualized a contemporary, moveable design scheme, creating a bold yet uncomplicated canvas for the psychologically complex storyline.

Pierre Yovanovitch designs a movable design scheme | image © Paolo Abate

Pierre Yovanovitch’s dramatic set design for Theater Basel comes to life as a central structure composed of three rotating walls, painted blue and red, evoking abstracted flower petals. These walls move along a 360-degree circular track, turning and shifting positions as the storyline evolves. Every position creates an entirely new backdrop for the characters.

Complementing the central feature is a sweeping white staircase that curves along the background and a sculptural chandelier hovering atop the rotating walls, casting an ambient lighting with its minimalist, concentric rings. Last but not least, the designer populated the vibrantly modern opera stage with custom furniture pieces. These include a daybed, a curved sofa, and a cylindrical table with stools. 

Head to Theater Basel’s website for more information on the ‘Rigoletto’ production. 

a bold composition of sweeping curves and dramatic tones | image © Paolo Abate

Pierre Yovanovitch designed custom furniture pieces for the set | image © Paolo Abate

image © Paolo Abate

creating a bold yet minimalist canvas for the psychologically-charged storyline | image © Paolo Abate

image © Matthias Baus  

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image © Matthias Baus

image © Paolo Abate

image © Matthias Baus

image © Paolo Abate

project info:

play name: Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi 

location: Theater Basel, Switzerland 

opera set design: Pierre Yovanovitch | @pierre.yovanovitch 

photography: Paolo Abate, Matthias Baus