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Big-screen video transforms this space and ushers in an invisiblesurround-sound system. Photography by Christos Panayides

SYSTEMS DESIGN& INSTALLATIONElytronicNicosia. CvorusIr;nin

Interior DesignJ Joseph InteriorsNicosia, Cyprus

ArchitectK.N. Tofarides AssociatesNicosia. Cyprus

SHOWING OFFELECTRONICS delivers even more impact when it seems there's really not much

to sec. That's the beauty of this luxury pcnrhousc-r-lccatcd on the M editerranean island of Cy­

prus-r-whosc architecture irsclfis such a th ing of bcauty that you wouldn't possibly want to mess

with it. For most of the day, the stunning interior simply speaks for itself, without much hint that

the room offers entertainment beyond an elegantly wall-mounted flat-panel television. But when

the homeowner fires up a movie for guests, at the press of a button the room puts on quite a show:

This is when, as deftly installed and programmed by local cus tom electronics pro Ely­

rronic, the technology choreography com mences: the ligh ting begins to d im; the motor­

ized bli nds slowly cover the windows; a 106-inch screen drops down in front of the T V; a

projector descends from its ceiling hideout; and the invisib le surround-sound speakers and

subwoofers make their p resence known.

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"T he owner is a developer for real estate apartments and houses, so he knew abou t

automation and he wanted to do something special to show customers that was a bit over

the top. Plus he likes the stuff as well, so he understands how it 's able to make his life

easier," says Elyrronic's H arris Epameinondas. "T he most challenging part was to crea te an

amazing space without the electronics being shown, so nobody knows th ere's a projector,

a screen, the speakers, until they suddenly appear. T he coord inat io n of the gear took the

ceiling guys, the heating guys, the interior designer . . . because everybody's part of it, and

bringing everyone on the same page."

Elyrronic wo rked throughout the roughly 2,OOO-square-foot penthouse while it was be­

ing renovated, so the company could carefully provide detailed plans and exact dimensions

for all of that coordination. For exam ple, the five Stealth Acoustics AX3 speakers and pair

of Stealth B1 630 passive subwoofe rs are truly invisible in the ceili ng, but they required par­

ticular metal structu res to ensure the ceiling wouldn 't shake du ring a movie (especially the

area around the subs). T heir installation also necessitated special instructions for the ceiling

painter so the speakers would receive the proper fi nishing that wouldn't muffle the sound.

And since you can't see the speakers, we'll just tell you that the front three channels re­

side in fron t of the screen housing, while the rear surrounds flank the C hief projector lift and

the two subwoofer panels sit between the family room and adjacent open dining room area.

"In the living room, what people want these days [for NY}, it's a compromise between

aesthetics and performance," says Epameinondas. "The invisible 5.1 Stealth Acoustics system is

kind of a compromise, but on the other hand it looks amazing and sounds very good. It 's magical."

Speaking of the ceiling, one of the more creative fe ats in designing and installing the

AVATAR e 2009 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX ALLRIGHTSRESIRVED,

SYSTEMS & EQUIPMENTControl : Contro l4Lighti ng/Shading: Lut ronProjector : Planar

Screen: ScreenviewTV: PioneerSpeakers & Subwoofer: Stealth AcousticsAN Sources: Apple TV. Net gear. PioneerLift & M ou nt: ChiefRack: Raxxess

HIGHLIGHTS• M odern look that's un interrupted by

t echnology.• Invis ible surround -sound audio system

meticulously insta lled in the ceiling.

• Two viewing options.w ith a projec tionscreen housing incorporat ing the designof the room.

ELECTRONICHOUSE.com 49

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Screenview dropdown screen was the hous­

ing itself. As further illustration of Elytronic's

teamwork with the other trades involved ,

rather than install a simple, rectangular box

to hold the screen when it 's not in use, the

room's part ial faux ceili ng gently curves over

the housing to create a seamless facade that

carries forth the rest of the modern look.

On the electronics side, the coordination is

governed by a Contro14 system that triggers the

automated events in the big reveal, which along

with the AN and lights and shades can also in­

clude bringing the room temperarure to a certain

level. Lutron lighting and motorized shades can

be set accordingly at the press ofa button,wheth­

er the viewing calls fo r the 6Q-inch plasma screen

or the l 06-incher. Either way, the views are al­

ways impressive in this penthouse. - A.s. EH

A..'~ FAMILY/MEDIA ROOM~I~BRONZE

At play.At work.

C2013 Core Brandos. LLC. .... nghts reserved.

E"" ... subsod'ar; of Core B'........ u.c .

That'swhatan ELANg! Entertainmentand Control System canbring you.

elanhomesystems.com

Imagine all of your music, movies,sportsand TV, at your command viatouch screen, touch pad, iPhone oriPad. Imagineyour security, climateand lighting, all under your control,whereveryouare,bywireless device.

At home.

Your worldmadl simpll.

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e ear

~RDS

omeo

Amazing high-tech solutionsfor every room in the house