A small space with big results

AV experiences are all about creating impact, but what do you do when space is at a premium? Take a look inside Japanese based integrator, Glance's latest project and 2019 Asia Pacific Award winner for Best Media Room.

When it comes to maximising tight spaces, there’s nowhere in the world that has as much experience as in Japan. So when CEDIA’s only Japanese accredited residential installer, Glance, was tasked with creating a bespoke media room, they combined both a traditional Japanese aesthetic with state-of-the-art AV technology to create a space that was anything but tiny.

Multi-purpose media

The Japanese integration firm Glance had clear challenges when they undertook this project, not the least of which was a diminutive budget. Glance handled every aspect of this multiple-purpose space brilliantly, ultimately winning a CEDIA Award for Best Media Room, Level I in the Asia-Pacific region.

This beautiful media room has a Kikuchi 120” screen that raises to reveal a 65” Panasonic OLED 4K TV. It’s the very definition of a “media room” — it’s a space that’s used for more than total, immersive focus on a movie, show or sporting event.

The room can be used for dedicated movie viewing with the Epson 4K projector and screen or be instantly adapted for more “social” events, such as sports broadcasting — hence the TV screen.

Free-standing and in-ceiling Linn speakers are put to great use here, both sonically and aesthetically. A single B&W subwoofer provides the low frequencies, and a Denon amp and AMX controller round out the AV systems.

An easy-to-use iPad controller, coupled with elegant Panasonic lighting control panels match the look and feel of this room, part of a space that extends into the home’s kitchen area.

The same is true of the cabinet holding the equipment rack with its understated elegance and clever, dedicated illumination.

Making the most of sight and and sound

CEDIA’s judges were very impressed by the issues the integrator overcame given the room they were handed. It’s small, and there are a lot of hard surfaces, so a key component of the design was minimising any harsh listening experience. For this reason, Linn speakers were chosen by Glance to provide a smooth, natural sound in the environment.

Additionally, although this is a media room, Glance faithfully calibrated a Dolby 5.1.4-channel sound system that’s worthy of any dedicated home cinema.

Glance was recognised by the CEDIA Asia Pacific Awards. CEDIA is an official partner of Integrate, find out more about the event and subscribe to updates here.