New dressing rooms, make-up area and entrance for Theatre 12 at Cinecittà

In view of the new expansion and development plan for the Studios at Cinecittà that includes the renovation of the technical environments, such as the dressing rooms and "make-up and wig-fitting" areas, to facilitate the work of the professionals and production departments that use them, an initial intervention has been carried out at Theatre 12.  
 
The project springs from the collaboration between the Italian Association of Set, Costume and Interior Designers (A.S.C.)  and Cinecittà SPA. This is a now structured collaboration that has grown over the years and given rise to numerous projects in the sphere of Set, Costume and Interior Design.  The A.S.C. provided its know-how and designed the project according to the detailed indications and needs expressed by Cinecittà, in the persons of Domenico Pinuccio D'Arino (Cinecittà Theatres Production Director) and architects Dino D'Antimi and Francesco Karrer of the Studios Technical Office. The goal was to carry out a very technical, but also spectacular, high-impact renovation with the support and specific advice of those who work in the entertainment field and are in close contact with the actors and various departments that revolve around the activities of film, television, theatre, events, etc.  
 
The architect Lucia Nigri, Vice President of the A.S.C. with the help of architects and partners, Giuseppe Cannatà and Martina Cardoni and interior designer Cristiana Possenti, was responsible for the entire project. This included coordinating the technical aspects with the set design of the spaces. The initial idea, in fact, was followed by the design of all the environments, including the wall coverings, colours and the choice and installation of coordinated furnishings that would meet technical requirements too. The versatile and modular lighting system was also designed according to the needs of the actors and the departments featuring costume designers, makeup artists and hairdressers. 
A show is inconceivable without lighting and the dressing rooms and make-up areas at Cinecittà are now a spectacular show in their own right. They are environments designed to ensure that actors feel comfortable and can relax while also preparing for their parts by trying on stage costumes and undergoing hair and make-up sessions that are sometimes long and exhausting. These are environments that are also frequented by backstage professionals, like costume designers, directors, make-up artists, hairdressers, set designers, screenwriters, cinematographers and lighting professionals. 

Particular attention was therefore paid to the Make-up and Wig-fitting areas, which are essential for preparing actors. In this regard, the architect Lucia Nigri, worked with the well-known make-up artist Luigi Rocchetti to understand the practical requirements of sector professionals. The result is an interactive Hair & Make Up room, featuring a system controlled by a dedicated app that can be downloaded onto a cell phone. This allows the many professionals who work on actors' hair and faces to personalise the colour temperature and light intensity of the mirror bulbs in the special lighting system. This level of luminaire versatility solves the age-old problem of being able to respond, in real time, to all the colour and visual requirements the director, script, photography and final image demand, and which inevitably vary from project to project and from professional to professional. 

iGuzzini luminaires also provide the general lighting for the spaces in the building containing the Theatre 12 stage, where the new dressing rooms have been built. The new layout with its enlarged openings, masterful use of colour and strategically positioned lighting points have transformed these initially dim and cramped spaces into environments with greater dynamism and a powerful character.  
 
Each dressing room accommodates a full bathroom and a wall of custom-designed closets, a personal Hair and Make Up station, a full-length adjustable mirror that is extremely useful for dress rehearsals, a sofa and bench, upholstered in the colours chosen for the project, and an LED lighting system that is in some cases track-mounted and in others recessed and includes 62 and 51 mm diameter Palco Low Voltage projectors with Wide Flood, Flood and Spot optics combined with recessed Reflex luminaires.  In the bathrooms, on the other hand, fixed recessed Laser luminaires have been used.  At the entrance, on the ground floor, a spectacular system of wooden “sails” hides the electrical control units and integrates a system of dimmable Underscore 15 luminaires. Along the stairs, Walky recessed luminaires and iPro projectors with up-down light distribution have been used to create graphic effects on the walls. 

From a functional point of view, the success of the project also owes much to the valuable advice of Oscar-winning costume designers of the calibre of Gabriella Pescucci and Carlo Poggioli, the A.S.C. President. As someone who works closely with actors and often frequents dressing rooms during film work, Poggioli gave valuable advice on the size and functional needs of the furnishings, which were custom-made for this project.