Bringing awareness and wisdom to the opera audience by rethinking furniture, decoration materials, and accessories in a more sustainable way.
ECOPERA is an initiative of the Belgian Opéra house La Monnaie/ De Munt ®.
In 2018, La Monnaie decided to start a CO2 emissions reduction program. In order to reduce their carbon footprint in scenery, La Monnaie called on industrial design and scenography students from ENSAV la Cambre.
First, researches were lead on how to bring sustainability to the entertainment sector, by playing with lights, depths, and flat surfaces to suggest 3D volumes and play with spectator's imagination. Afterward, new ecological materials that could be produced in La Monnaie's workshops, were experimented, .
The development of bio-based plastics based on vegetal materials, such as Agar-Agar seaweed or glycerin, revealed promising properties.
Bio-plastics are polyvalent and easy to produce as well as fire-resistant (which is one of the most important criteria for scenery).
Below is the planned cycle:
Bio-plastics are polyvalent and easy to produce as well as fire-resistant (which is one of the most important criteria for scenery).
Below is the planned cycle:
Bioplastics are living matters, humidity or sun can affect their general aspect. While the plastic is drying, it is crucial to control the temperature and humidity levels in the air to prevent moisture. withdrawal also is an important phenomenon to take into account, but it can also be used as an advantage to suggest organic volumes.