Manhattan-based lighting designer Marsha Stem of Marsha Stem Lighting Design and Consulting has incorporated Martin MiniMAC wash lights into the Nickelodeon display at the flagship FAO Schwarz Toy Store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan.
"FAO Schwarz is always looking for new toys in lighting, and that's where I come in," states Marsha. "FAO was looking for a light that wasn't too big yet something that could attract - a light that could stand alone and think by itself as there wouldn't necessarily be personnel around to monitor and control the lighting."
FAO is constantly revising their departments in order to keep them new and interesting, and are careful to keep the focus on the most important elements in the store - the merchandise. Keeping with the company philosophy of "designing its stores to interact with customers in a manner which distinguishes itself from other retailers" the Manhattan store features interactive demonstrations, a visual department and areas where kids as well as grownups can play with toys.
The Nickelodeon display is a colorful area full of attractive displays and enticing toys featuring Nickelodeon products. The MiniMACs are mounted at each comer of the display, providing added color to the merchandise and projecting color washes onto the floor and ceiling.
"The MiniMACs are cute," enthuses Marsha, "and they fit in well into the store environment. They are quiet and have all the safety requirements -which is important as well."
Marsha and FAO Schwarz seem perfect partners as both incorporate a positive and unique attitude towards lighting, with stress placed on creating a ftin experience. When the issue of control came up, Marsha says that it was an easy issue to solve. Marsha can control the MiniMACs via a laptop computer using the PC-based Martin Lightjockey and playback controller, and finds the fixtures easy to control.
This isn't Marsha's first experience with FAO stores, having designed the lighting in the Las Vegas store as well as the popular Star Wars area in the Fifth Avenue store.