The Challenge
One Times Square approached us to help realize their vision for the ninth iteration of the world-famous Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball. The objective was to create an aesthetic marvel that would withstand the elements in one of the most high-profile locations on Earth.
Designing the Crystal Holders
Leveraging our deep expertise in high-performance plastics, we designed custom holders for intricately crafted Waterford crystals in three distinct sizes. These components were engineered to survive a punishing outdoor environment characterized by high winds, heavy rain, snow, and intense sun exposure.
The innovative three-part design allows crystals to be easily removed for visitor experiences while maintaining a firm hold on the internal LED array. The design features a quick, permanent snap-fit between lower components that requires no additional hardware. Integrated bumps on the outer ring, similar to a car’s gas cap, provide auditory feedback to ensure each crystal is securely locked into place.
Translucent side panels add a subtle glow to every holder, while pronged metallized rings evoke the look of fine jewel settings, and by minimizing the footprint of the holders, we maximized the crystal count, successfully fitting over 5,500 crystals onto the sphere.
Arranging the Crystals
Our client’s vision was a seamless, tightly packed sphere of crystal. The arrangement needed to appear beautifully random while maintaining an even distribution of the three crystal sizes across the entire surface.
We devised a pattern of rings, with each ring consisting of a single type of repeating irregular panel that repeated around the circumference of the ball. Three rings of panels stacked on top of each other made up the northern hemisphere of the ball, with the southern being identical, but flipped while still seamlessly meshed with the rest of the pattern. The edges of these panels were designed to hug the circumference of the crystal holders, allowing each panel to interlock perfectly with its neighbors, both around the ring, as well as the rings above and below it. The northern and southern hemispheres are even identical and designed to fit snugly together.
For longevity and ease of maintenance, individual panels were designed to be removed without impacting the surrounding structure.
Putting It All Together
Bringing the ball to life required seamless collaboration with AMA Electric Sign. Precision was paramount; even minor misalignments could prevent panels from fitting correctly on the sphere.
To solve this, we designed custom wooden fixtures equipped with specialized plastic feet and built-in drill bushings. These fixtures ensured that every hole on every panel was perfectly aligned. We also developed custom spacers to maintain exact positioning of each panel relative to its neighbors, ensuring a flawless finish for this global icon.
