Disappearing Act: A NYC Penthouse Gets a Stealth Entertainment Upgrade

To its part-time NYC residents, this stunning penthouse offers a haven above the business and bustle of the streets of New York City. The pad boasts floor-to-ceiling windows with breathtaking views of Central Park West and the Manhattan skyline while flooding the apartment with natural light. This real estate left little to be desired—except for a reference-quality media room.

The lucky new homeowners sought a modern entertainment environment that would blend seamlessly into the contemporary décor of the apartment while performing to a reference-level standard at all times of day. While the homeowners’ objective was clear, the large room (21’ x 15.5’ LxW) presented unique design and construction challenges for the custom integration team.

Enter Innerspace Electronics. Innerspace Electronics is a premier custom electronics systems integrator that services elite clientele from New York City, to Westchester and Fairfield County and Long Island. Their reputation for creating and installing the highest-level of smart home automation, home theater and A/V system solutions has also brought them to Miami, Palm Beach and beyond for multi-abode clients.

For this penthouse project, the Innerspace team was tasked with the design and build of the full-scale media room that would disappear at the press of a button. And so, they did. To deliver a media room that performed to the highest audio and video standards of the discerning owner and complemented the aesthetics and existing conditions within the apartment, various concessions had to be made.

First, an integrated automated lighting and shading system was installed to overcome the light that floods the room from the large windows by day and lights of the city by night. Extensive ceiling modifications were also made to the concrete ceiling, including decking constraints to allow ample room for a SIM2 projector mounted on a slim line Electro- Kinetics Scissor lift and an elaborate HVAC cooling solution to fit snugly inside.

During the day, the shades can remain up and users can still enjoy TV and movies on the 60-inch Pioneer Elite PRO-151FD flat screen that can easily combat the room’s ample ambient light conditions. At night—or whenever a dark, movie-theater experience is desired—a 96-inch Stewart Filmscreen projection screen and the SIM2 C3X 1080T1 projector on a custom lift can be easily activated, dropping down from their discrete in-ceiling positions to provide a high-performance, cinematic entertainment.

To complement the impressive video displays, a high-performance audio system was needed, but the apartment had piping that ran behind the video display cabinet and could not be modified as part of the apartment’s building-wide systems. The audio system needed to fit with the piping, and other items running through the back of the cabinet, while allowing excellent calibration to create exceptional sound and avoid any installation issues.

With a plan in mind, Innerspace custom systems integration team worked closely with California Audio Technology (CAT) to build a reference-level system. Once the millwork was in place, CAT tailored a construction and equalization solution that worked within the completely concealed cabinetry. The all custom designed audio system features CAT Malibu 2008 Cabinetry Style Custom LCR speakers, CAT Rubicon Subwoofers, amplifiers and digital signal processors to produce best possible sound in the custom enclosure.

Integrating the Kaleidescape K-Player 6000 movie player was the final touch to this impressive media room. It enables the owner to easily transfer media from his main home in Massachusetts to the NYC apartment for the ultimate enjoyment and flexibility.

Barry Reiner from Innerspace Electronics shares, “He likes this media room more than the full-scale theater in his primary residence! These are the projects and systems that epitomize what we in the custom audio and video integration world do best. We approach challenges with innovative design and build solutions, as well as a collaborative approach, to create the pinnacle in audio and video performance that adds to the enjoyment and aesthetics of our clients’ homes.”

By HDLiving.com staff