In 2021, the annual Golden Trezzini Awards, organized by the Worldwide St. Petersburg Club, introduced a new category for the first time: the award for the Best Implemented Theatre Set Design.
At first glance, it might seem that an architectural and design award has little in common with theatre set design. However, the motto of the Golden Trezzini Awards —"Architecture as Art" — reveals that the connection between the award and set design is far deeper than it appears. Many renowned architects and designers have ventured into theatrical scenography, creating sets for operas, ballets, theater productions, and even performances.
Architects as Set Designers
Let's recall just a few prominent architects from the past who left a significant mark on theatrical art. Swiss architect and decorator Henri-François-Gabriel Viollier designed sets for the theater of Paul I in Gatchina. The great German architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel crafted scenery for productions at the Royal Theater in Berlin. Another Swiss architect, Adolphe Appia, revolutionized stage design with his innovative use of light and color for Wagner's operas.
In modern times, notable examples include Philippe Starck, who designed stage spaces such as the interior of Milan's La Scala theater; Frank Gehry, who created scenography for experimental productions, including operas; Zaha Hadid, with her project for The Valkyrie; Jean Nouvel, who designed sets for operas and theater productions, including Pelléas et Mélisande at the Lyon Opera; Herzog & de Meuron, who worked on scenography for theater and music performances, including the Salzburg Festival; and finally, Daniel Libeskind, a member of the Golden Trezzini Awards International Council, who designed sets for Wagner's Tristan und Isolde in Germany.
This raises the question: Why was the Golden Trezzini the first award in the world to recognize theatrical set design as a form of architectural art?
Zoyka Settles in Murmansk
We are pleased to present the first nominee for the 2025 Golden Trezzini Awards in the category «Best Completed Theatre Set Design» — the set design for the play Zoyka's Apartment by Mikhail Bulgakov, staged at the Murmansk Regional Drama Theater in 2024. The applicant is set designer Fyodor Arkhipov, a GITIS graduate who has served as the theater's chief designer since March 2024. The production team also includes director Nikolai Gadomsky, costume designer Anna Topuridze, movement director Yaroslav Frantsev, and lighting designer Pavel Kudelkin.
The designer's mastery is evidenced not only by this nomination for the prestigious award but also by recognition at the II International Theater Festival «Arctic Scene,» where Arkhipov won the award for Best Scenography.
Will Zoyka's Apartment claim the Golden Trezzini statuette in its category? The jury of experts will provide their verdict this autumn. In the meantime, you can make your own choice by voting for the People's Choice Award for this set design. Visit the Zoyka's Apartment page on the award website to cast your vote: https://www.goldtrezzini.ru/en/nominees/zoikina/.
We wish the creators of Murmansk's Zoyka's Apartment every success!
Reminder: Call for Entries! Applications for the 8th International Golden Trezzini Awards are now being accepted on the award website. Participation is free. Winners will be honored on November 21 at the Hermitage Theater in St. Petersburg. Winning projects will be added to the collections of the State Museum of History of St. Petersburg and featured in the annual «Architecture as Art» exhibition.
Photos by Maria Agapova
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