StormAudio Helps Transform the Basement Bunker of a Swiss Chateau into a Luxury Cinema Room
When an existing customer asked KNEKTD Founder Shaun Wilson to help turn a curved concrete bunker in the basement of his new Lake Geneva Chateau into a high-performing cinema room, he didn’t hesitate to take on the challenge.
“I recently worked with this customer to outfit his London-based home, so I was aware going into it that the expectation would be to deliver an amazing sound experience,” he said. “With unique challenges this project posed, success required care, detail and meticulous planning to execute.”
After signing on, Wilson partnered with home theater specialist CinemaTech to build the home theater of his customers’ dreams – one that would achieve the pinnacle of audio quality while also matching the aesthetic of the rest of the beautiful home.
A System Built for an Audiophile
With many factors to take into account – an installation in a foreign country, a uniquely shaped space, and multiple design collaborators – Wilson and his team had to rely on only the best AV equipment to ensure that the audio component of the renovation was steadfast, reliable, and of course, of the highest quality. “The customer is an audiophile and places great emphasis on sound quality,” he said. “First and foremost, it was essential that I based the audio system around an ‘engine’ that would run effortlessly and reliably to power the audio from behind-the-scenes.”
The ‘engine’ he selected is a StormAudio ISP Elite MK3 Sound Processor, which Wilson says does the “grunt work” – or sound processing – of the entire cinema room. “Without a strong sound processor, it’s like driving a Ferrari without a Ferrari engine. You need a great engine to enjoy the benefit of everything else.”
The StormAudio ISP MK3 sound processor delivers 24-channel decoding and up-mixing, paired with 32-channel amplification. It also features state-of-the-art Dirac Live Active Room Treatment for unparalleled audio performance, enabling Wilson to customize sound experience with precise control. “We calibrated the entire system seamlessly and it was an easy experience with no fussiness,” he said. “Plus, we received wonderful support from the StormAudio team during the process, which helped us deliver the ultimate sound experience.”
Once the ‘engine’ was selected, KNEKTD opted for Wisdom Audio’s Sage Cinema line speakers to provide a totally-immersive experience throughout the room. He outfitted space with three front Sage Cinema Line 2 Speakers, eight Sage Cinema Point 2 V2 MTM speakers in the side and rear, four in-ceiling Sage ICS7A speakers, and four SCS RTL Passive Subwoofers. “It couldn’t sound better,” he explained. “The audio is as good as it gets for a room of that size.”
Blending Form & Function
Along with ensuring the best sound quality possible, keeping visual design top-of-mind was highly important. Dealing with a curved room for the first time ever, the team came up with the idea to build a faceted ceiling with individual gradient lines that angle all the way across.
Working closely with an interior designer, the KNEKTD and CinemaTech teams incorporated LED strips into custom antique bronze trim embedded into custom fabric across the ceiling – creating the visual effect of light moving through space. “It was quite a cool challenge to develop an acoustic treatment and lighting arrangement to fit into the unique space that both looks and sounds luxurious,” Wilson explained.
AV components were hidden behind this fabric around the room and positioned within a custom-built tracking system. “We essentially had to build a room inside of the room to build these tracks that hold the technology and conceal it,” Wilson explained. “And, because we were working within a concrete bunker, we also had to ensure there were air gaps to ensure fresh air circulation and mitigate against moisture build-up. In the end, the technology is well-concealed behind the fabric. It looks and sounds incredible, so mission accomplished!”
The luxury doesn’t end at the audio system; a JVC NZ900 Projector and a 140” CinemaScope Projector Screen provide a luxury visual experience akin to a professional theater, while a Kaleidescape StratoV + 16B Server manages several video sources that are scaled and processed through a Mad VR Envy Extreme Video Processor.
The room – once a concrete basement – is now a luxury home cinema. “Despite the unique challenges a concrete basement bunker poses, we were able to really push the envelope with audio quality and visual design,” Wilson concluded. “Equipped with a StormAudio engine, Wisdom Audio, and custom design features throughout, the customer is thrilled with both the look and sound.”
