David Rockwell, who designed the home of the Academy Awards in 2001, was invited to design the sets for the 2009 Oscars ceremony. The first architect to design the sets, Rockwell used his extensive background in crafting immersive three-dimensional environments to create a new and fresh look for the Oscars.
Together with the producer Laurence Mark and executive producer Bill Condon, Rockwell developed sets that evoke more of an elegant party rather than a formal performance atmosphere. Innovative and glamorous technologies and designs were combined with an emphasis on spectacle and community.
The theater and sets was reorganized and re-envisioned to enhance the energy for the live and broadcast audiences, powered by a visual narrative that unfolded through 12 transforming sets throughout the night.
In a nod to the high-profile fashion associated with this event, Rockwell has created a new proscenium, a curtain comprised of approximately 100,000 Swarovski crystals in a variety of shapes and sizes. The sparkle and magic of the curtain paved the way for the unexpected and surprising elements of the design.
In a surprising and dramatic integration of technology and movement, Rockwell replaced the one giant flat screen that shows movie clips and montages, with 20 still LED screens and five LED screens that transformed and reconfigured based on the needs of the choreography of the show.
Rockwell added a thrust stage to the theater, with only four steps between the stage and seating level in an effort to bring the presenters closer to the audience. An elaborate bandstand was placed on stage for a full orchestra, with the capability to move up and down the stage, and then break apart and disappear throughout the night. The stage floor had an abstract floral pattern referencing the curve of the thrust stage, as it circled out from the center point of that area.