Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1529668
9 2 P E R S P E C T I V E | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 Callas Foundation in Paris, to research her life. We meticulously studied her personal letters, furniture, costumes, and even tracked down auction catalogs featuring her possessions. We immersed ourselves in Maria's world by visiting her favorite haunts in Paris such as Maxim's and La Tour d'Argent, in an effort to understand her surroundings. Our journey took us from France, to Greece where we toured Aristotle Onassis' Christina O yacht, to Italy where we scouted La Scala in Milan, arguably the greatest opera house in the world. One of the most poignant moments was standing on the stage of La Scala, where Callas performed many times. It was a powerful reminder of the immense scale of her fame. A standout moment in this research was visiting Maria's apartment on Avenue Georges Mandel in Paris. Though it has been remodeled since her death, the experience of being in her personal space was unforgettable. The production wanted the apartment set to reflect the world beyond Maria's windows—the Parisian streets and the Eiffel Tower. To achieve this, we decided to build the apartment set on location, carefully replicating the layout and details of her real-life residence, including the tall, elegant windows that are characteristic of Hector Guimard's architectural style. I was specifically looking for an empty shell in the right setting, with the right sun exposure, knowing I would need to design the overall layout and meticulously recreate all of the period-accurate details. To make this plan work, I teamed up with the location department to find a suitable gutted interior. It had to be large enough to accommodate the new inner walls, adjusted doorways and room layouts. Pablo's presence on set during the design and A. SET LAYOUT OF MARIA'S APARTMENT DRAWN AFTER A VISIT TO THE REAL LOCATION ON AVENUE GEORGES MANDEL 36 IN PARIS INCORPORATING MANY OF THE UNIQUE FEATURES I'D SEEN INTO THE DESIGN ALREADY UNDERWAY IN HUNGARY. SKETCHBOOK 8.5" X 11" 2B PENCIL AND COLOR PENCIL BY GUY HENDRIX DYAS. A