New York architect, David Rockwell is off to the Oscars. The architect, who designed the Hollywood venue where the annual academy awards ceremony is held, has been invited to design the sets for next year’s show to be held on the 22nd of February 2009.

Rockwell is no stranger to set design. His stage credits include set design for the productions of “Hairspray “and “Legally Blonde”. “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “The Rocky Horror Show”. For the 81st Academy Awards production, Rockwell will be joined by producer Laurence Mark and executive producer Bill Condon who also will be making their Oscars debut.

David is an innovator who possesses the outstanding combination of truly firsthand knowledge of the Kodak Theatre and superb design work in a variety of realms, including film and theater," said Mark and Condon in a joint statement. "We're pleased to be collaborating with someone whose talents are so diverse." The ceremony is in the early planning stages and nominations will not be announced until Jan. 22, but Rockwell has a prediction. "I think we'll see things never seen before at the Oscars," Rockwell said. "One of the things about the Oscars is there are such thrilling possibilities. It is one of the great kind of communal rituals of the entire world."