We’re proud to announce the arrival of four state-of-the-art fans,
which have been installed for your comfort during this season’s
performances. Particularly refreshing are the motors, virtually silent,
which allow us to leave the fans on throughout performances.
This application of industrial-style fans as a means of providing
improved air circulation in an amphitheater is a world first.
Originally designed for large, indoor settings such as warehouses and
factories, the fans were intended to hang with the motors mounted
on top. Because The Muny doesn’t have a roof (and so no hanging
points), the manufacturers and engineers redesigned the fans to attach
to the top of poles as you see them now.
The old fans, which these replace, were installed in 1955 and had a
span of about 8 feet. Their 21st-century counterparts boast a span of
20 feet.
The blades of the fans are designed with a contemporary engineering
paradigm known as “bio-mimicry.” This means that the shape of the
blades imitate elements found in the natural world.
Specifically, the design is based on “whale fin technology,” and is
modeled on the pectoral fins of the humpback whale.
The blades, like the whale’s fin, are not straight-edged, but rather
serrated, keeping the noise from air displacement at a minimum.
The Muny gratefully
acknowledges its “Fan Club,”
those generous patrons without
whom this gift to all of us would
not have been possible.
For a listing, please see page 19 in this program
ABOVE: The pectoral fin of a humpback whale
