SUNRISE STAGE

ØJE Studio develops a stage system in which a three-dimensional matrix of LED cells integrates temporary architecture, generative content and lighting. A structure designed to transform its visual perception in response to natural and artificial light. 

For Isle of Summer Vienna 2026, held on 1 August on Vienna's Donauinsel, ØJE Studio developed the Sunrise Stage, a scenographic system integrating spatial design, modular structures and audiovisual technologies. The project is based on the relationship between a repetitive architectural geometry and a digital system capable of reshaping the perception of volume through images, light and movement. 

Its defining feature is a three-dimensional matrix of cubic cells arranged above and around the performers' area. The structure assumes two distinct visual configurations throughout the event: during the day, its architectural character prevails, with an open grid that can be read as a whole; after sunset, the activation of the LEDs progressively transforms the matrix into a volumetric display animated by audiovisual content. 

Rather than functioning as a conventional support structure for screens, the stage is conceived as an integrated system in which architecture and media are developed as components of the same design process. 

Concept and Geometric Development

The concept originates from an internal studio research project entitled Social-Reactivity-Cage. The initial idea involved a cubic structure containing a digital core, conceived to respond to the number of people present outside it. For Sunrise Stage, this principle was adapted to a musical context, using the artists' content as an input for visual interaction and continuous variation. 

The choice of cubic geometry also responded to the operational requirements of the festival. With the event opening at 11:00 AM, the stage needed to maintain a recognisable visual presence during daylight hours, when lighting systems could not perform the same scenographic role they would assume at night. 

The matrix, composed of 7 × 7 × 5 cells, generates a regular sequence of elements defining the volume above the performers. Its modular repetition makes the overall configuration legible from a distance while preserving visual permeability and openness towards the sky. 

As natural light fades, the LED system activates the different layers of depth. Illuminated outlines and strobe effects contribute to changing the perception of the physical components, allowing the digital volume to emerge in relation to the supporting structure. 

This transformation does not involve any physical alteration of the geometry. Instead, light and audiovisual content redefine the way the structure is perceived.

Architecture and Media System Design 

The architectural design and audiovisual system were developed in parallel. This approach made it possible to conceive the matrix not as a conventional surface for video playback, but as a three-dimensional volume within which images and moving sequences could be distributed. 

To manage the system, ØJE Studio adapted MØRPH, its proprietary generative engine developed in TouchDesigner, introducing a 3D Texture Generation function specifically for this project. 

The system allows shapes, textures and movements to be processed throughout the depth of the matrix, moving beyond the traditional logic of two-dimensional video playback. Content can be distributed across the different structural layers, establishing visual continuity between the upper matrix, the main screen and the two side towers. 

The four media surfaces are managed from a single operating position. The system allows them to share the same visual source or operate with independent processing, providing different compositional possibilities. 

A further aspect concerns the integration of guest VJ contributions. Incoming video feeds are captured through dedicated inputs and distributed across the different layers of the matrix. Successive frames from the same video sequence can be assigned to different depths, allowing different moments of the same movement to coexist within the structure. 

Movement is therefore not represented solely through the temporal succession of images, but also becomes part of the spatial composition. The matrix functions as a device capable of articulating video content across multiple layers of depth. 

Structure and Technical Configuration 

The overall stage structure measures 32 × 20 × 20 metres and is built using a modular Layher system. An enclosed backstage area measuring 20 × 20 metres is incorporated within the overall configuration. 

The upper section accommodates the volumetric LED matrix, comprising 245 cells arranged in a 7 × 7 × 5 configuration. The audiovisual system includes a total of 821 LED panels distributed across the matrix, the main screen and the two side towers. 

The main screen is positioned horizontally beneath the matrix, close to the performers. Its function is twofold: it provides an additional visual plane within the overall composition while also acting as a roof over the area below. 

This second function also proved relevant from an operational perspective. Despite the high temperatures recorded during the day, with forecasts reaching 41°C, the possibility of rainfall had to be considered. During the festival, a heavy downpour lasting 27 minutes occurred, making the planned shelter function particularly relevant. 

Integration of Generative Content and Lighting 

The management of audiovisual content is integrated with the lighting system through a connection between TouchDesigner and the grandMA3 console. 

MØRPH transmits colour and behavioural parameters via the DMX protocol, allowing selected elements of the generative composition to be linked to the illuminated tubes and strobe effects framing the structure. 

This integration establishes a relationship between the behaviour of the video surfaces and the lighting devices, while keeping their respective operational control systems distinct. The lighting designer operates the rig through grandMA3, retaining direct control over the lighting system. 

This control architecture makes it possible to coordinate the different elements without fully binding the lighting system to the generative content. 

Experiencing Space from Within 

The project also explores a less conventional viewpoint: the perspective of visitors looking directly upwards into the matrix. 

The team named this view The Kaleidoscope. The alignment of the repeated cubic cells creates a second geometric composition, different from the one perceived from the front or from outside the stage. 

The space below was conceived as a more intimate and informal environment, closer to a small club than to a conventional VIP area. The structure therefore does more than define the visual identity of the stage: it also contributes to organising different ways of experiencing the space. 

An Integrated System of Form and Content 

Sunrise Stage approaches stage design for live music through the integration of architectural components, digital systems and lighting. 

The modular structure defines the volume and its geometric organisation; the LED matrix makes it possible to distribute images and movement throughout its depth; the generative engine manages content composition and its relationship with the different surfaces; the lighting system completes the configuration through shared parameters. 

The result is a scenographic system in which the physical structure remains stable while its visual perception changes in response to lighting conditions and projected content. 

This approach shifts the focus from the individual screen towards the design of a three-dimensional audiovisual environment, in which architecture and technology jointly define the space.

Credits:

Project: Sunrise Stage – Isle of Summer Vienna 2026
Date: 1 August 2026
Location: Donauinsel, Vienna, Austria 

Festival & Production: Permanent Entertainment
Technical Production / Event Technology: Leuchtkraft Veranstaltungstechnik 

ØJE Studio 

Stage concept and design 

Volumetric LED system 

Generative engine 

Content development 

Show operation 

General Producer: Artem Kharchenko
Set & Stage Design: Maksim Spasibko, Artem Kharchenko
Generative System & Engine: Konstantin Dovzhik, Aleksei Parkhomenko, Anton Koloda, Eduard Krasilnikov
Producers: Artem Akimov, Slava Kostyakhin
Show Operation / VJ: Fedor Zubkov, Aleksei Parkhomenko
Lighting Programming: Daniil Moskovich 

Photography: Fabian May, Sebastian Stahrl
Video: Pascal Benkendorf, Lubomir Pidany 

Guest VJ – Hugel: Oriol Torres
Guest VJ – Eric Prydz: Álvaro González 

Studio: ØJE Studio, Vienna