The Clients wanted a space where their family and friends could relax and watch a movie and forget about the outside world. A major objective was to design a tasteful, contemporary space that maximized seating capacity for the large contingent of family and friends. Soundproofing and Acoustics were high on the list of priorities as there is living space directly above and adjacent to the Theater Room.
Cosmetics of the finished space were also paramount. There was an existing bulkhead that could not be moved or altered, it was down one side of the room and was unsightly. We chose to design the ceiling in a way that reproduced this bulkhead to create a cove lit tray ceiling around the room, this allowed us to frame in the fiber optic star field and return it into the Proscenium. What started out as a cosmetic detractor, turned into an alluring ceiling feature.
Hiding the equipment and technology was also a main directive. To this end we chose to conceal the front speakers and subwoofer within the Proscenium and mill work. The mid surround speakers are hidden in the Custom built fiber optic star field and the rear surround speakers are in the back portion of the tray ceiling.
A DnP Supernova Epic motorized masking 2.40:1 screen was chosen. The client loved the screen’s feature of completely closing its masking over the screen when not in use. This feature serves two functions for the client. One is the protection it affords the screen when children are around and the theater is not in use. The second was the perception of parting curtains before the Movie begins. In the original design, the room called for a front curtain, however, a curtain did not fit the contemporary nature of the room. The DnP screen was the perfect option to meet the client’s desires
The home’s automation system also provides control within the theater room. Elan g does an excellent job of controlling the theater with an easy, intuitive user interface. A handheld remote is available as well as control from any tablet or smart phone. The full Lutron lighting control system of the home also handles the lighting control of the theater.
A Digital Projection M Vision DLP projector was chosen for its richness in color and ability to fill the screen size. It was paired with a Panamorph anamorphic motorized lens system to complete the full uninhibited movie watching experience.
A DnP Supernova Epic 132 inch motorized masking screen was chosen to give the clients a true Cinematic experience, no matter the movie’s format it can be watched in full resolution with no black bars, just as in a commercial movie theater. The screen sits flush in a recessed opening within the room’s mill work.
We selected Bowers and Wilkins Custom Theater line of speakers for this project. These speakers have the ability to reproduce all aspects of a movie soundscape and delight even the most discerning audiophile. The three front CT7.3 LCR’s are mounted with in the proscenium mill work while the mid and rear speakers are concealed in the ceiling.
A Sunfire True Sub EQ Signature Dual 12 inch Woofer is tasked with providing the mandatory kick in the pants feeling needed in any great theater. The sub resides in the lower right corner of the proscenium’s mill work.
Power for room is in the form of a more than capable Marantz 7 channel power amplifier, mated with a Marantz theater processor. This combination produces a magnificent, accurate auditory experience that any moviegoer would appreciate.
A theater’s acoustic properties can make or break the experience. All the high dollar equipment in the world will fall flat on its face, or rip your head off if the room’s acoustics are not engineered and executed properly. To this end we chose a Kinetics Stretch Track System covering the majority of the walls, ceiling and surrounding screen area.
Combinations of absorption and diffusion panels were selected given their location relative to foreseen and calculated acoustic problems. The icing on the cake is the full fabric wrap of all panels. This is a process done on site after the proper panels are placed in their respective locations. Acoustic fabric is stretched and tucked over each panel creating razor sharp lines where the panels intersect.
Acoustically transparent fabric was stretched over the door frames where the speakers and subwoofer resides within the front mill work, making for the desired heard but not seen effect. The dual entry doors are fully sealed with a custom built Kinetics door seal system, making this room almost airtight.
The ceiling was treated with acoustic panels that frame in the mid surround speakers. It was then topped off with a custom made on site, fiber optic star field containing a 5 foot long shooting star and a very special constellation feature.
This full anamorphic theater room with seating for 18 is an acoustical triumph. A large fiber optic star field with 5 foot long shooting star almost steals the show.
A contemporary Theater Room that lends itself to a large audience. Simple in its appearance, intricate in its design, frightening in its performance, this room is that of Jekyll and Hide.
