Model Making Nottingham Playhouse | Playing with Shape

I am very interested in columns for my design, for reading The Duchess of Malfi I get the idea of upper class, in a world of their own, spacious image. 

I feel that the characters are effectively a small part in a bigger world and there for I felt that the column would emphases space and luxury. To much space than what they know what to do with. 

I like the idea of space and I would like the set to focus around the Duchess' world. For example, whilst the play is following the high life of the Duchess I want the set to be bright and airy, plenty of welcoming space for her, Antonio and their three children. However as the Duchess' world begins to crumble from under her feet I want the set to get darker.

Each section from the set above would have its own lighting rig. When the Duchess falls her world gets darker and one by one the portal blacks out. Up until the Act 4, scene 1 where Ferdinand tortures the Duchess. For the prison scene, I would want one spot light, cold and blue down stage centred on the Duchess. Ferdinand hugging the edge of the light whilst torturing the Duchess.