Italian creative studio Mammafotogramma realises DIOR Christmas façade with weather-resistant drylin SLW linear modules from igus

The facade of the French luxury fashion house DIOR enchants hundreds of thousands of people every year. What they don’t see: for the winter magic, design engineers have to overcome a number of challenges, such as finding electrical adjustment systems for the moving figures that also work in freezing temperatures. Weather-resistant and lubrication-free linear modules from igus ensure trouble-free Christmas magic.

Christmas window displays have a long tradition. Generations of children have pressed their noses against the panes, marvelling at winter landscapes with trains and waving teddy bears. One of the most impressive installations is the Christmas façade of the French luxury fashion house DIOR. At 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris, creative agencies come up with something new every year to enchant children and adults alike. This year it is a sparkling XXL star. In 2024, it was a fairytale scene with miniature Eiffel Towers spanning several storeys, large stars and floating handbags, illuminated in white, blue and gold.

Christmas façade mechanics must defy rain, frost and wind

However, the magic is only the part you see. Every year, the design engineers face a challenge: they have to build the Christmas landscape in such a way that it works independently for weeks without the need for service, even in rain, frost and wind. When thousands of people are doing their Christmas shopping in December, it is hardly possible to carry out repairs to the façade with a crane. Thousands of robust and low-maintenance components are therefore in demand, although they are not always easy to find. One example: the 2024 installation included large, illuminated stars with hinged doors. They opened automatically so that a female figure with a skirt, hat and handbag could appear, sliding forwards. For this adjustment, the design engineers at Italian creative studio Mammafotogramma were looking for an electrically driven guide that was not only weatherproof but also as quiet as possible. After all, squeaking would spoil the magic of Christmas. “Recirculating ball screws were out of the question because moisture, dirt, dust and frost can impair their function and smooth running,” says Gianluca Lo Presti, Technical Director at Mammafotogramma.

Lubrication-free linear modules from igus support the Christmas magic

The solution: a linear module from the igus SLW series with an electric lead screw drive. “Thanks to these weatherproof modules, the figures in the installation were able to move hundreds of times a day throughout the Christmas period without downtime,” says Lo Presti. The guide rail is made of corrosion-resistant aluminium. The holder for the figure is mounted on a carriage. When the hinged door opens, a motor turns a spindle with the holding device for the figure forwards. The special feature: the carriage moves on the rail via four sliding bearing, which are not made of metal but of high-performance plastic. This material contains a solid lubricant, which keeps the surface of the bearings permanently slippery. This allows the carriage to move along the rail without a drop of grease. “Unlike many oil-lubricated bearings, this system does not entail the risk of dust and dirt being attracted and interfering with the operation,” says Michael Hornung, Product Manager for drylin Linear and Drive Technology at igus. “In addition, the polymer bearings function reliably even in winter at sub-zero temperatures without freezing and blocking.” Last but not least, the sliding movement of the linear modules is virtually silent, according to Lo Presti. “The technology has therefore blended unobtrusively into the installation without disturbing the Christmas magic.”

You can find more information about the drylin SLW series here:
https://www.igus.eu/drive-technology/linear-axes-with-spindle/slw-series