Lydia Merkel studied stage design and architecture at the Technical University of Berlin. During her studies, she interned at the Berliner Ensemble and assisted at Ballhaus Naunynstraße and Sophiensälen Berlin.

From 2010 to 2012, she was a set assistant at the Krefeld/Mönchengladbach Theatre, where she has been responsible for various productions to date.  2012 to 2018 the non-European premieres directed by Jorge Angeles, Maya Zbib, Jessé Oliveira, Rafat al Zakout and Nava Zukerman. Nava Zukerman's Hamletmachine was invited to the NRW Theatertreffen in 2019. In 2016 she also designed the costume design for Rio Reiser by Heiner Kondschak and the set design for Mondlicht und Magnolien directed by Franziska Gramss here.

From 2012 to 2014 she was assistant stage designer at the Schauspielhaus Bochum. Here she designed the stage for the dance and theatre production Out of Body by Julio I. Ungo, which was shown at the NRW Theatertreffen in 2013. Blaubart and Träum weiter mark the beginning of her close collaboration with director Selen Kara. Wunschkinder and Alle meine Söhne were directed by Anselm Weber.

Since 2014, Lydia Merkel has been working as a freelance stage and costume designer at the Staatstheater Nürnberg, Nationaltheater Mannheim, Schauspiel Frankfurt, Schauspielhaus Bochum, Theater Bremen, Theater Krefeld-Mönchengladbach, Deutsches Theater Göttingen, among others.

Current roles: