Claus Zier, the designer behind the Eurovision 2014 stage, has revealed his vision behind the design, and its ties to Danish history.

In an interview with Danish broadcaster DR, Zier states: As soon as I got this here ship idea, I just could not put it down. The cube has grown out of the ship shape and the water, but I’m also ship as a metaphor for the entire voyage and on Denmark’s history as a maritime nation. There are just so many layers.

The ship idea he refers to is an image from the B&W Hallerne’s – the Eurovision 2014 venue – archives which showed the front hull of a ship being built. This is where the idea of the central cube in the stage came from, along with the surrounding water of the main stage area.

My vision was to find shipyard DNA and somehow create an iconic form that could carry the visual expression that changes from song to song.

To help each song carry its own identity, the stage team enlisted the help of a 13 by 13 meter interactive floor and the 20 meter high cube, covered with LED lighting and engineered plastic which can be opaque or transparent when electrical current is flowed through.

I want to make something we can be proud that Danes. Although it may be a little provincial in this globalized world, we should be able to distinguish ourselves as a nation.

You can watch the behind-the-scenes production video below:

Earlier this week, DR released a video of the stage in action, as well as some of the technical details that have gone into the construction. This coming week, the first set of rehearsals is set to begin as the participants descend on Copenhagen to prepare for the live shows on the 6, 8, and 10 May. This will be the third time that Denmark has won the right to host the event, previously hosting in 1964 and 2001.

For more on Denmark and the Eurovision Song Contest, stay tuned to esctoday.com.