The impetus for the creation of Portugal-based Consexto’s showstopping showroom was to demonstrate how big screens can integrate seamlessly with the design of any room. Consider it mission accomplished, as the results have impressed potential customers and trade partners alike.
“We want our customers to know that with the right equipment and design we can transform any space — a bedroom, a garden, or a garage — into an amazing entertainment area while still allowing it to serve its primary function,” says João Vitoriano, CTO of the architectural and AV integration firm.
“The Zero-G screen from Screen Innovations that’s installed in the living room section of our showroom lets us demonstrate this concept while introducing our clientele to a unique, innovative, eye-pleasing alternative to typical motorized screens and big-screen TVs.”
Visitors ‘Sold’ on Motorized Zero-G Screen Experience
Visitors to the showroom connect instantly with the casual, modern atmosphere, accented by comfortable couches and a large custom-built shelving unit, Vitoriano says.
Nothing about the 500-square-meter (approx. 1,640-square-feet) room suggests that it contains some of the most advanced and architecturally friendly entertainment technologies available today. And that’s exactly the point, Vitoriano adds.
“We want our clients, as well as trade partners including architects, interior designers, and realtors, to understand there are AV options that easily adapt to and complement high-end home designs,” he says. “When showroom visitors experience how well the Zero-G motorized screen accomplishes this objective, they’re sold.”
At the tap of a button, the front of Consexto’s living room space morphs into a video display, as a 4-meter-wide (approx. 13.1-foot-wide) Zero-G screen quietly descends from a slim housing mounted discreetly within the steel beams of an open ceiling.
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More than just a screen on which to view movies, games and other content, the Screen Innovations Zero-G adds an element of wonder to the environment, Vitoriano notes.
“The wires that suspend it from the ceiling are so small, you can’t see them,” Vitoriano says.
Top-Flight Video, Audio Round Out Media Room
With no front wall to serve as its backdrop, only an open bookshelf that separates the theater from a conference room, the effect makes the screen appear to float in thin air.
“That’s why we’ve dubbed this area ‘The Levitating Room,’” Vitoriano explains. “Like the other areas of our showroom, our intent is to sell not products, but the experience.”
Of course, the Zero-G screen is only one piece of this media room design puzzle that Consexto creatively constructed. The SI screen is fed by a Barco Balder projector, hidden, of course, above the ceiling. Only a compact, folding motorized mirror assembly from Display Technologies reveals itself; images from the projector reflect off the mirror and onto the screen.
A Steinway Lyngdorf audio system complements the video, again in custom fashion. It comprises two Model O speakers in the front, two Model S speakers in the back, two Boundary subwoofers, and a P100 processor to create a phantom center channel. Minus a center-channel speaker, the are no obstructions for the Zero-G to work around, Vitoriano notes.
He reports Consexto’s design-inspired showroom has resonated strongly with past and potential customers. Since opening two years ago, the space has drawn plenty of attention from architects, interior designers, and homeowners, even serving as a destination for special events hosted by Consexto, luxury retailers, high-end brands, and clients.
“One of our clients has used the Levitating Room to hold his own private concerts,” says Vitoriano.
“The floating SI Zero-G screen offers a sensational video backdrop for all kinds of activities, and we’re fortunate to have the ideal environment where we can open people’s eyes here in Portugal and worldwide to the possibilities.”
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