Each piece was 44-feet long and arranged in subsequent heights; the tree line, representing New York City’s Central Park, was just nine-inches high. Behind that were two layers of buildings, each about 7’-6” tall, creating a New York cityscape. 

The building facades were comprised of 24 individual pieces; each piece contained graphics of several buildings. On each of the 24 sections, as many as 100 tiny windows, one-half inch by one-inch, were cut out so that light could shine through. The illuminated cityscapes instantly set the mood and time on stage. At dusk, hundreds of lights glowed faintly, shined brightly at nighttime, and were opaque during daytime scenes.

The 24 building façade pieces were sized to fit on standard sized Sintra and vinyl, approximately four-feet by eight feet, and each individual piece was actually made of three pieces “sandwiched” together. The top layer consisted of self-adhesive vinyl graphics onto which the unique building facades were printed. The middle layer was made from Sintra cut to match the building silhouettes. The third layer was a masonite layer cut to match the building silhouette.  Assembling the units was a complex process due to the different characteristics of the lighting. Some lights were placed behind the vinyl, creating a diffused look to the window, while others poked through the surface to create bright spots of light for illuminated street lamps and car headlights. 

“The masonite layer,” explained Project Manager Jean Burch, “facilitated fabrication. We cut the masonite pieces early on in the process so our Electrics Department could begin work on each building’s electric circuitry. The masonite also provided a solid backing to each group of buildings, preventing light “leaking” upstage, and facilitating future maintenance.