Some integration projects seem to stand out from others due to the sheer significance of the work being done. The work taken on by Gramophone for the Greater Baltimore Hindu-Jain temple and its attached Community Event Hall is one such example.
Having long been a fixture within the local Hindu-Jain community, the Community Event Hall required major updates and was showing distressing signs of age as well as general wear and tear. It had gotten so dire that members of the church had opted out of using the space because it lacked any energy, and the systems were difficult to operate.
A founding member of the temple made it his goal to remodel the event hall and to refresh it as a gift to the Hindu-Jain temple. Then, the generous donor passed away before this gift could be provided.
His wishes, however, were kept by his family, and so, they reached out to Gramophone CEO Andrew Davis to tackle the renovation for the Community Event Hall. This came down to the electrical work, design/build services, and lighting updates, in addition to completely revamping the AV system.
“To say having 15+ customers on one project isn’t an easy undertaking would be an understatement,” commented Gramophone’s Leticia Blundi.
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The customer wanted to ensure this space brought the people of the Hindu-Jain temple together to celebrate life, culture, and simplicity, and guided by design lead Stephanie Twarowski Gramophone set to work.
The team met onsite frequently to make sure the multiuse venue was just right. Gramophone integrated a new AV system with Crestron, Sony, JBL Audio, and microphones.
Ketra fixtures were also installed throughout to bring a greater liveliness to the space with “Disney-like” light shows at the push of a button.
“Not a single person made reference to the lighting being a problem but we consistently heard comments of ‘sterile, cold, no energy, too difficult to use, no one wants to be in here for long,’” noted Blundi.
“What the customers ultimately didn’t realize is the whole area was lit with old fluorescent lighting and had failing stage lighting that a rocket scientist needed to be on staff for to turn off and on.
“They were not immediately sure this was the problem but trusted our established lighting designer Gus Fotinos’s recommendations.”
Meanwhile, its design/build team updated all flooring, walls, curtains, stage, and ceiling, while providing the decorative and architectural fixtures to cap off the impressive results, returning the Community Event Hall to a place of glory and worship for the Greater Baltimore Hindu-Jain Temple.
Systems & Equipment
- Crestron automation
- Lutron lighting controls
- Ketra fixtures
- Sony 85” TV & Blu-ray player
- JBL speakers
- AudioQuest & AVPro Edge cabling
- Luxul network
- Middle Atlantic racks
- Panamax power
- Shure microphones
- Zuo Modern furnishings & seating
This project is part of our coverage for the 2023 CE Pro Home of the Year Awards. Presented annually at CEDIA Expo, the Home of the Year Awards represent the best of the best smart home innovations within the CEDIA channel. If you have a project you would like to submit to the Home of the Year Awards, consider following CE Pro if you aren’t already for when we announce the next submission round.
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