Case Study: Zurich Opera House achieves faster, standardized lighting workflows for international productions with Vectorworks Spotlight (Vectorworks)

Quality Follows Innovation at the Zurich Opera House

The Zurich Opera House, a leading 1,100-seat repertory theater producing some 60 productions a season, faced the twin challenges of modernizing its lighting technology while supporting rapid set changes and frequent international co-productions (notably the 2015–16 Swan Lake with La Scala). With tight turnaround times—setups can be as short as three hours—and a large technical staff, the theater needed standardized, flexible lighting documentation that could be quickly updated and shared with partners.

The lighting team created a dedicated CAD role and adopted Vectorworks Spotlight to build a multifunctional standard lighting plan, use visibility controls and libraries, and manage revisions via smart layer strategies (including an “unused” layer). The result is professional, easily readable A3/A4 plans that speed rehearsal updates, simplify equipment swaps during summer renovations, reduce technician workload, and streamline international collaborations and touring.

Zurich Opera House

Martin Gebhardt

Head of Lighting