Signs of the Times - April 2012 - (Page 66)

Photo by Signal Signs Daffy’s, an East-Coast discount clothier, recently opened a new store in Times Square and placed a large-scale blade sign across the building facade. Below that, a companion, projecting Daktronics LED display decorates the canopy. winch and rigging system that utilized the window-washing track. Further, they custom-built a hoisting rig to which each panel was clipped. That, in turn, was connected to the custom rooftop winch. Sway and wind concerns were eliminated. “In a further preparation for attaching the sign to the building side,” noted Ramsburgh, “we also designed and fabricated a steel structure which consisted of three, 10 x 10-in., steel square tubes that were connected to the building columns. Each steel tube had a series of pre-drilled angle irons welded to it, to which the signpanel segments were attached.” Empire’s electric-scaffold crew supervised each sign lift to ensure the rig didn’t snag on the building until the panel safely reached the top. Once on the roof, sign segments were transferred from the winch to a custom-built rooftop trolley with chain falls (a rigging device to help lift and lower the sign segments in place). The trolley moved along the rooftop to where the sign panels were lowered into place. The sign panels were bolted to the steel structure on the sides of the building. Gyscek was amazed how the Allianz sign was visible throughout the entire Manhattan midtown area: “It was even visible across the Hudson River from the New Jersey side and, as well, close up from most of Times Square, which was right below it.” Daffy’s glittering sign Daffy’s, an East Coast discount clothier, recently opened a new store in Times Square and placed a large-scale blade sign across the building facade, and, below that, a companion, projecting LED display canopy. Signal Sign Co. (Livingston, NJ) designed and fabricated the entire sign project, with installation by Interboro Sign and Maintenance (Brooklyn, NY). Signal owner Bruce Fish explained: “Following the traditional blade-sign format, the display consisted of a even if there was, once each sign segment was hoisted up, it would have proven impossible to control the effect of the wind on the panel and its natural swaying tendencies as each sign segment was hoisted towards the roof.” Inevitably, the solution was right in front of them. Already in place along the sides of the building was a vertical track system used by the building’s window-washing scaffold. Empire Erectors custom-built a V-shaped, double-face, blade sign – an 8 x 39-ft. assembled steel structure. The structure was covered with closedface, yellow acrylic covers – each one capping its equivalent channel letter – and they were all mounted together to portray “DAFFY’S” in a conventional vertical-blade form.” The aluminum channel letters were individually mounted on the steel structure with a contrasting, contoured background. Each interior was populated with Sloan V-Series warm-white LEDs, to backlight each yellow, acrylic face. For “glitter”, Fish noted, “the Daffy’s blade sign also had a series of RGB Color Kinetic iColorFlex pixel cluster discs that sparkled around the perimeter of each channel letter, giving the blade sign a little more pizzazz in getting customers to ‘come on by.’ ” Below the blade sign, approximately 8 ft. from the building wall, a 5 x 16-ft. canopy projects. The canopy’s main surface area is a custom-built, full-color, curved, 16mm Daktronics Galaxy display that provides text, graphics and full-motion video imaging across the display face with chasing Tivoli LED lights above and below. The Galaxy portion of the canopy presents store and name-brand promotions and sales alerts. Directly atop the canopy, an identicalformat (but smaller) set of closedface channel letters also presents the store’s name. Finally, highpowered LED downlights brighten the area beneath the canopy, while built-in speakers offer music and store information. “The Daffy’s sign success was all in its structural presence.” says Fish, “Between its height on the side of the building, and with all its visual activity and sparkling motion up and down the blade sign, it easily catches the pedestrians by the eye and draws them towards the store.” Times Square: The voice of business Day and night, Times Square’s electrifying streetscape holds court 66 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / APRIL 2012 / www.signweb.com http://www.signweb.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - April 2012

Signs of the Times - April 2012
Contents
ST Update
Technology Update
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Technology Review
Software Update
Sign Museum News
New Products
Times Square Update
That Sign is Fine (Art?)
Victory at Yorktown
Temporary, with Permanent Appeal
The Value of Signs
Anatomy of an M&A Failure
Industry News
Advertising Index
Editorially Speaking

Signs of the Times - April 2012