To accomplish this goal, the lighting concept was to line the entire façade of the Toys "R" Us building with 165 theatrical scrollers measuring 6' high x 5' wide. Each scroller has seven images printed on polyester fabric. Show & Tell Productions, Inc. assisted in the design and programming of the scrollers to create one overall image that can be totally changed across the façade in less than five seconds. The technique was adapted from a standard theatrical concept and reconfigured at a large scale.

"There's so much going on inside the store, that we looked for ways to bring that excitement to the street," Gregory comments. Even in bright sunlight, the images on the scrollers are vivid in contrast to the LED signs around them that tend to lose their impact in daylight. "This is something that's never been done before in this way," emphasizes Focus Lighting senior designer, Diana Ades, "and it presents a new striking effect that more than holds its own in the Times Square surroundings."

Lighting of the façade's scrollers was accomplished with 1,000-watt metal halide fixtures bracketed off the top of the exterior façade. This positioning created a dual effect. By lighting the façade from the exterior, a glow is created within the interior of the store. From inside, the glass wall becomes a colorful, backlit interior surface. When the scrollers shift to their clear position for views into the store, the halide fixtures are doused to prevent glare as the festive environment featuring the central Ferris wheel inside is revealed.

i n s i d e   t h e   s t o r e

Visitors entering the store at the corner of 44th Street and Broadway pass through floating glass and onto a concrete entry bridge that is backlit with animated neon. Immense ceilings of blue and amber create "Highlight the merchandise and surround it with color" was one of the prime objectives for Joanne Newbold's interior program for Toys "R" Us. Newbold, who heads her own firm in New York, J. Newbold Associates, Inc., and Focus Lighting have worked together before for such retail clients as Dylan's Candy Bar in Manhattan. Surrounded by a high-decibel visual environment, the illumination level on the merchandise displays reaches 80-100 footcandles throughout the store. Theatrical style fixtures with 100-watt ceramic metal halide lamps from the 26'-high high catwalk combined with T5 fluorescent high-output lamps at the perimeter of the space are the basis for the accent lighting system.

a b o a r d   t h e   f e r r i s   w h e e l

The central concept of the Ferris wheel was to create an icon that could be seen from the street through the glass façade of the building; it is now part of the flagship store's own logo. It features 14 individually themed cars such as Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head, Cabbage Patch Kids Camp Bus, Li'l Snoopy, M&Ms, Tonka® Truck, Mr. Monopoly®, Nickelodeon Zany Zapper, and Pokémon. Each car seats four adults or four children. The proceeds from the Ferris wheel go to the Toys "R" Us Children's Fund to support the work of children's charities across the country.

Controls for the Ferris wheel are mounted onto the wheel itself and are linked to the main processors by radio control. "There are 200 neon chevrons and LED bands with strobes at the end of each arm to create sparkle," Ades explains.

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