rula transforms summer concert with unfolding cube

 

At the center of Terence Lam’s White Summer concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum, a seven-meter white cube designed by Ruby Law, founder of RULA Design Studio, rotates, unfolds, and transforms. The structure functions as a sculpture, projection surface, and architectural frame all at once.

 

Conceived as a Pandora’s box, the cube opens and closes to reveal multiple layers of the show’s narrative. In one sequence, it unfolds into a plus shape (+) on the stage floor, a visual emblem of unison and connection. At other moments, it frames performers through circular apertures, hosts the singer on its exterior while choreography plays out within, or becomes a vessel for projection mapping, with visuals such as a clock face evoking themes of memory and time. Suspended above, circular LED screens hover in counterpoint to the cube, sometimes resembling abstract glasses that frame the performance from new perspectives.

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RULA’s seven-meter white cube unfolds, rotates and transforms | all images by Right Eyeball Studio

 

 

White Summer: An Architectural Approach to Stage Design

 

London-based set designer Ruby Law’s approach reflects her architectural background, trained at HKU, MIT, and The Bartlett (UCL). White Summer is part of her ongoing exploration of immersive concert environments, which includes productions such as Come Alive: The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular, WestK’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Jorja Smith’s 2022 world tour. 

 

The cube is built from a steel truss clad in timber panels and mounted on a central revolve that allows rotation and continuous reconfiguration. A hydraulic hinge system allows each section to open or close in under ten seconds, keeping up with the rapid pace of a live pop production. 

 

As the show draws to a close, the cube reseals itself, the internal tungsten spiral glowing within its circular frame like a light bulb, signaling hope, warmth, and renewal.

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performers emerge from its circular apertures

 

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the cube doubles as a sculptural vessel and architectural frame

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projection mapping turns the cube into a storytelling device