Monaco - Best Home Cinema, Level 1 finalist, APAC 2024

The essence of a home lies not just in its structural elements, but in the spaces that breathe life into it. For one family in Queensland, Australia, their newly acquired residence was incomplete without a dedicated media room. This space was envisioned not merely as any room, but as a multi-functional sanctuary for movie nights, gaming sessions, and vibrant sports gatherings. Upon discovering cinema designer The Digital Picture through a Google search, their journey towards creating the perfect home cinema commenced.

The challenge presented by the client was as intriguing as it was daunting. They possessed a second-floor room encased entirely in glass, an architect's dream yet an acoustical challenge. "What can we do with this space?" they queried. The answer would demonstrate a blend of innovation, expertise, and the art of balancing aesthetics with functionality.

From the beginning, it was evident that the room had to serve multiple purposes. Located above a bar area in a secluded wing of the house, it was ideally situated for late-night sports events and entertainment, ensuring that activities would not disturb the rest of the household. This setup led to a pivotal design decision: the screen needed to be visible even with ambient light, a significant challenge given the glass surrounds.

The initial site meeting and subsequent visit to The Digital Picture's showroom set the project's foundations. Inspired by a smaller demonstration room, the client envisioned scaling up the audio system to a seven-point-one-point-four channel configuration, a step up from the showroom's five-point-one-point-four setup. This introduced a design challenge — the need to achieve the same auditory excellence in a much larger space. Peak Sound Pressure Levels (SPL) were adjusted meticulously, ensuring the larger room retained the intimate sound quality the client admired.

Video was another critical component. The client was captivated by a larger screen in the demonstration room, opting for a cinemascope screen over a traditional 16:9 ratio, due to existing bulkhead constraints. A Sony 7000ES projector paired with a Lumagen video processor was chosen to deliver exceptional image quality. This setup allowed sports to be displayed in full width on the 2.39:1 screen, essential for the avid sports enthusiasts.

Acoustic control was paramount. With limited options, a baffle wall behind the screen and 100mm absorber boards on the rear wall were installed to manage reflections. Custom heavy acoustic light-block curtains were selected to complement the interior design while mitigating sound reflections. A star ceiling panel system was integrated, balancing aesthetic appeal with functional acoustics, ensuring the high-frequency sounds were not over-treated. The floor was layered with a heavy acoustic underlay beneath new carpeting, enhancing the overall sound experience without overwhelming the room's acoustics.

The room's layout was a collaborative effort, with The Digital Picture assisting in selecting carpet, curtains, paint, lighting, and general interior design elements. Practicality met elegance as the team navigated constraints, such as the decision to use shelves instead of slide-out racks for the equipment, due to spatial and budgetary limits.

The transformation resulted in a space that not only met but exceeded the client’s expectations. The reverberation time measurements — a critical acoustic indicator — were precisely as anticipated, with a slight rise below 150Hz, ensuring the room sounded exceptional. More than just a technical success, the media room became a vibrant hub of activity, perfectly balancing entertainment with comfort.

On a typical Saturday night, with the balcony doors flung open, sports broadcasting on the large screen, and laughter permeating the air, the room demonstrates its full potential. In transforming a challenging space into a harmonious blend of form and function, The Digital Picture crafted not just a media room, but a core part of the family's home life, enriching their daily experiences and interactions.