Light, movement and wonderment typically grace New York during the holiday season. But it’s not just the stores and store windows that glisten. The tree at Rockefeller Center and the multi-faceted snowflake over 57th Street and Fifth Avenue set the tone. And other public spaces, Midtown atriums and lobbies add to the magic.
This year, the theme for the atrium of the Fisher Building on 52nd Street and Park Avenue is “Holiday in the Park,” complete with fountains, wrought iron fences, lampposts, skaters, puppeteers, fishermen, chestnut vendors, lovers on a park bench, birdfeeders and a central kiosk complete with a musical quintet. The mechanicals have been provided by Mechanical Displays Inc. (Brooklyn, N.Y.), which has been trimming the building for 17 years.
Powered by 120 amps of electricity, the figures move with the spirit of the season. Intricate hand movements, twists and twirls animate the figures and bring the scene to life. Lou Nasti, president of Mechanical Displays, is already designing next year’s extravaganza. The process begins with a rough sketch and then a finished drawing. The client is presented with the drawing, faces and skin tones of the figures and fabrics and materials. Rubber castings are made, the animation and mechanics are engineered, the costuming sewn, fiberglass castings are fabricated and all is assembled in the shop. Installation is typically the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Mechanical Displays Inc. currently has holiday presentations in New York, Mexico, Canada, Panama and Nassau.
- By Eric Feigenbaum, VM+SD New York editor
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