Christmas time in New York City is magical and among the many things to experience, the Winter Village at Bryant Park is a must. With a 17,000-sq. ft. ice skating rink, a food hall, an open air European inspired market, and other fun activities nestled at the famed NYC library, Bryant Park is a unique holiday tradition. For the last six years, PRG has provided lighting and audio for the ice rink and surrounding areas including the Overlook Room (event space), and the Lodge (food hall) which helps set the magical scene that welcomes visitors. They also provide technical support for special events including the tree lighting ceremony and NY Opera caroling. PRG worked with lighting designer Diana Kesselschmidt who designed the lighting to capture the magical, special, and sometimes romantic aspects of the park.
To learn more about Bryant Park Winter Village, watch this “How’d They Do That?” video from AVIXA
“When creating the lighting, I began by imagining myself in the shoes of somebody entering the village for the first time,” said Kesselschmidt. “Also, I wanted the space to look and feel different every time somebody visited so I wanted to add to the magic, the sense of wonder.”
The Winter Village at Bryant Park welcomes visitors from Oct. 28 to March 3 which encompasses many occasions so Kesselschmidt’s design includes special holiday features including Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras. Several lighting events are preprogrammed for playback by the park staff depending on the time of day or holiday event schedule.
Lighting fixtures are positioned around the rink of six 20’ vertical trusses. Because the lights must function 24/7 during the NY winter weather, outdoor rated fixtures like the IP65 rated CHAUVET COLORado were a must. PRG fully pre-rigged the vertical trusses in their shop In Secaucus, NJ and then transported them to the park in NYC on flatbed trucks.
“Keith Romaine from PRG is one of my favorite people to work with, he’s been with the project since the beginning. He really helped me talk through what equipment I could get that would achieve the goals of capturing all the moments and feelings,” said Kesselschmidt. “In the first year, PRG invited me and the production electrician to sit with them and brainstorm all the engineering rigging and waterproofing plans. It was big collaborative process.”
PRG also provides audio technology for background music and automated announcements for the ice rink and surrounding area. PRG added 18 outdoor rated speakers to the vertical truss structures, using JBL CBT’s around the rink and JBL AWC 82’s for the deck. The audio system is controlled from a Yamaha mixing console
The base of operation for lighting and audio is in a small, rink-side control room. As rink operations staff manage any changes to lighting and audio that are not preprogrammed such as live or special announcements, PRG developed the controls to be easily operated, designing project-specific graphical user interfaces on touchscreens for easy playback.
“I’ve worked with PRG for a long time and the event presents some issues that I think only a company like PRG could solve for us. They have that breadth of experience working with outdoor events and temporary installations,” said Irene Vagianos, Vice President of Brand Partnerships and Events. “They designed a system that has really withstood the elements. We rarely have issues, and when we do, they are a phone call away. We have a very good working relationship.”
