As someone who spends a lot of free time visiting theaters and concert venues for performances, I pay attention to the increasing applications of curved and rolled elements. There are many functional uses for curved design in stage productions which are unique due to the often temporary purpose. Stage designs in theater are often built with limited runs and customized purposes while under time constraints, and using curved elements, particularly curved steel and aluminum can speed up that production in many ways.
One application often seen is for providing curved trusses to open up space for lighting. Depending on the weight and structural needs of items which may be mounted on them, either curved aluminum or steel could be used. Theater and performance spaces are often based out of rectangular shaped buildings but wish to give patrons views from multiple angles. Traditional lighting setups feature rows of lights mounted parallel to the stage that are angled to cover specific areas. This only allows for a limited direction of illumination, and may be challenging to provide light to certain areas. However, incorporating curved trusses can give lighting designers up to 360 degrees of stage coverage while still being economical and quick to install.
Whether large or small in design, curved trusses can be made by rolling either steel or aluminum. Most often, curved pipe is the preferred design medium. Forming a curved truss involves rolling concentric arcs with radial precision to ensure they will stay equidistant as cross beams are added for structural support. The advantage to utilizing a bender/roller in the process comes from being able to customize the shape and design to fit any design need. Some manufacturers might only offer curved pipe in specific sizes or overall sizes, but a bender/roller can utilize their expertise to fit any stage size or material demand.
