The Toys ‘R’ Us’ new Flagship Store in Times Square, New York encompasses more than 100,000 square feet of retail space on three levels. Interior features include a three story atrium just inside the main entry, crossed by glass bridges. A full-sized, operational ferris wheel fills the atrium; an added attraction to bring kids into the store and make their experience memorable.

Focus Lighting provided the ideas that are the main component of the store’s exterior design. Glass windows on all three floors are lined with scrolling “screens” in six foot side sections. Each scroll contains several “panels”, including one in white, one in color, one in clear plastic; and areas for interchangeable ads or graphics.

When the clear panel is in place, the facade is clear glass windows, with views to the ferris wheel and other interior features. By controlling all the scrollers at once, the entire face of the building can be transformed in a single second into an enormous white cube, or a three story tall advertisement, or a collage of children’s faces. Even in the visually competitive Times Square area, the Toys ‘R’ Us store commands attention.