For one of its most recent design concepts, the renowned Teatro dell'Opera di Roma in Italy has sought the assistance of large-format 3D printer manufacturer WASP.

The set design was made for Daniel Auber's 1830 opera Fra Diavolo (Brother Devil). A tale of intrigue and tragic love, the scenes are played out before distorted buildings like those from surrealistic paintings by Salvador Dali.

WASProject's mission was to create 2 stage-sized building facades with terraces and windows.

To make it easier to transport, store, and assemble the set, it was to be of modular design. For this task, it was decided to use the Delta WASP 3MT Industrial 4.0 3D printer with a build cylinder size of 1 m x 1 m.

The two backdrops were first CAD-modeled, then cut and 3D printed in pieces. It took a total of 223 panels of PLA to create both sets. They were printed by WASP in 3 months with five 3MT printers.

While the WASP facades appear to be the first of their kind for a theater, FDM 3D printing technology has already been used for the Broadway stage to create miniature scene settings. Likewise, the Cirque du Soliel’s costume department is using a 3D printer for making more durable props.