“Sunday Morning” has had the same set for 45 years, designed by Victor Paganuzzi. However, for the Design Issue, Rockwell Group was chosen to reimagine the set in a virtual form. David Rockwell, the firm’s founder, wanted to maintain the communal rituals associated with the show while adding a touch of theatrical flair. Rockwell, known for his work on projects like the Dolby Theatre, approached the redesign by sketching and focusing on simplicity and restraint while also incorporating exuberance.
Rockwell Group has a vast portfolio, including restaurants, stadiums, stage sets, and more. Their design trademarks include screens, stairs, and lighting that are vibrant, sweeping, and warm, respectively. The firm’s projects range from glitzy restaurants to children’s hospitals, emphasizing color and imagination in all their endeavors. Rockwell himself feels grateful for the work he gets to do, and his firm has grown significantly since its inception, showing the impact of their designs in various sectors.
For the project with “CBS Sunday Morning,” Rockwell Group aimed to create a design that would welcome the audience into an imagined world built from the foundational elements of the show. Using storytelling as a tool for connection, the design was inspired by the show’s long-standing symbol of the sun, representing energy and insight shared with viewers. The design was centered around four architectural elements – planes and screens, columns, domes, and thresholds – each detailed with artwork created by the show’s viewers.
The design concept was a journey through these architectural elements, each representing different aspects of the show’s stories and the exchange with its audience. The use of planes and screens focused on capturing light and shadows, columns were illuminated with viewers’ submitted artwork, domes drew inspiration from iconic structures, and thresholds served as invitations to a new space. The overall design facilitated a dialogue between earth and sky, shadows cast in patterns of memory, providing a dynamic backdrop for the show’s stories.
Ultimately, the design by Rockwell Group aimed to honor the traditions of “CBS Sunday Morning” while infusing it with a modern and imaginative touch. The set design highlighted the show’s commitment to storytelling and connection with its audience, creating a welcoming environment for viewers to engage with the curated narratives presented. The reimagined set incorporated both the history of the program and the creativity of its viewers, symbolized through the suns created and submitted over the show’s history. The result was a design that celebrated the essence of the show while embracing the evolution of design and technology.
