The stage set of the Wagner opera Tristan and Isolde at the Basel Theater consists of eleven towers made of Makrolon® that look like a pile of air mattresses piled upon one another. To generate this extraordinary effect, 460 ultra-thin polycarbonate sheets were drawn over a mold by thermal processing, giving them the shape of blown-up air mattresses. The sheets are extremely solid yet very lightweight, so that only a simple steel structure is required to secure the 8 meter high and more than 2 meter wide towers. „The combination of low weight and high solidity were a decisive factor in choosing Makrolon® for the stage set,“ says Thorsten Jung, Segment Manager Industry and Communication at Bayer Sheet Europe. „We could do without a massive substructure without compromising safety considerations,“ Jung adds. This applies to the statics of the structure as well as to fire safety. With a fire behavior classification Class 1Y (BS 476, part7), Makrolon® meets the high requirements for the use of materials in public buildings.

The trademark of the artist rosalie from Stuttgart, Germany, is to design individual rooms and entire interiors for operas and theater plays with strong colors and materials in an unusual setting. For the Tristan und Isolde opera in Basel, she designed not only the stage set and the costumes, but also served as producer.

This is not the first time rosalie has been using Makrolon® in her art. Previous projects with the material include the installation „Tempest of roses“ in 2003. Her previous, positive experience with the versatile material was decisive for the selection of Makrolon® for the stage set in Basel. Three partners worked on this impressive undertaking: Bayer MaterialScience, manufacturer of the Makrolon® granule, supplied roughly two tons of the material, then Bayer Sheet Europe produced the 1.55 x 2. 55 meter sheets in 1-millimeter thickness, followed by deep-drawing and molding of the mattresses in the workshops of the public broadcasting station Hessischer Rundfunk in Frankfurt. The finished product, which was shipped to Basel, found the immediate approval of the stage designers. The clear forms of the set allow the ultra-light towers to be lit from both behind and from the front with colored light, making them a central element of the Tristan and Isolde performance on stage.

The Basel theater project shows that the properties of Makrolon® - safety, transparency, easy molding, sturdiness, and light weight – are not only suited for many industrial applications, but the material also gives designers extraordinary flexibility for the realization of artistic concepts. Until the end of June, 11,000 theater goers will be able to view the stunning interplay of material and artistic creativity. Wagner lovers can expect to experience a fabulous evening with Tristan and Isolde.