Born in Rüdersdorf near Berlin, studied Stage Design and Architecture at the Technical University of Berlin.
From 2010 to 2012, she was assistant stage and costume designer at Theater Krefeld/Mönchengladbach, where she worked on various productions. From 2012 to 2018, she was responsible for the non-European premieres directed by Jorge Angeles, Maya Zbib, Jessé Oliveira, Rafat al Zakout and Nava Zukerman.
‘Hamletmachine’ by Nava Zukerman was invited to the 2019 Theatertreffen NRW.
From 2012 to 2014, she was an assistant stage designer at the Schauspielhaus Bochum.
Here she designed the set for the dance and theatre production 'Out of Body' by Julio I. Ungo, which was shown at the 2013 Theatertreffen NRW.
She created sets for 'Wunschkinder', 'All My Sons' and 'Furor', directed by Anselm Weber.
Her long-standing collaboration with director Selen Kara began with 'Bluebeard' and 'Träum Weiter' at Schauspiel Bochum.
Since 2014, Lydia Merkel has been working as a freelance stage and costume designer at, among others, the Schauspiel Essen, Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus, Bühnen Bern, Nationaltheater Mannheim, Schauspielhaus Bochum, Schauspiel Frankfurt, Staatstheater Nürnberg, Theater Dortmund, Theater Bremen, Theater Krefeld-Mönchengladbach.
The productions ‘I love you, Turkey’ (2020), ‘Dschinns’ (2023), ‘Doktormutter Faust’ (2024) directed by Selen Kara have been invited to the RADIKAL JUNG festival of young directors at the Münchner Volkstheater.
