Chloe Lamford's rotating set for Kaija Saariaho's 'Innocence' at The Met

Stage designer Chloe Lamford created a rotating two-story midcentury building for Kaija Saariaho's opera 'Innocence,' which recently concluded its debut at The Metropolitan Opera in New York. The opera, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper,' explores a school shooting at a Finnish international high school and its aftermath ten years later, alternating between the shooting day and a wedding party of the shooter's brother. Lamford's kinetic set, influenced by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, allows for rapid scene changes by a silent stage crew, transforming dining rooms into classrooms and cafeterias. The design, developed over 18 months with director Simon Stone, uses rice paper lamps and wooden screens inspired by Korean films, which are swapped for cafeteria tables and bulletin boards. Lamford aimed to create an 'emotional architecture' that leaves space for audiences to feel without being directed, with set elements progressively removed during the opera to focus on the characters. The libretto was written by Sofi Oksanen and Aleksi Barrière. The opera's handling of gun violence has sparked debate, as noted by New York Magazine critic Justin Davidson.