HONG KONG: The Metroplex, a luxurious 9 screen multiplex cinema, opened this year in Hong Kong’s iconic Kowloon Bay International Trade & Exhibition Centre. Situated adjacent to the widely popular Star Hall, a 3600 seat scene of many major international concerts, The Metroplex is a self-operated independent cinema showing a wide range of films ranging from Hollywood blockbusters, to international award-winners, festival entries, local, specialty and independent films. Beyond its cutting edge technical advantages, Metroplex has the flexibility to cross platform live streaming, concerts & shows, multi-media conferences, and many other events. To support these presentations, the complex was designed to host premieres, dinners, cocktail parties, and business gatherings.
An investment property of Hopewell Holdings Limited. The complex reflects the Group’s vast experience in operating large-scale venues, and it establishes a new level of lavish comfort for filmgoers. Their unique concept was to bridge the gap between film and music by creating crossover events and festivals that would benefit from the venue’s diverse dining, socializing, large and small theaters and intimate screening rooms. Deeply concerned with the need to provide their audiences with the highest quality audio. To achieve that level of acoustic excellence the developers retained the services of the Walters-Storyk Design Group.
Company Principal/Director of International Relations, Sergio Molho reports that WSDG provided a comprehensive review of the architectural master plan layouts and prepared a detailed analysis of the acoustic package recommendations provided by a local consultant. Particular attention was addressed to issues of Sound isolation and (RT60) internal room acoustics. The client’s primary concern was to assure absolute Sound isolation between the movie theaters and the large event hall located on the upper floor specifically with regard to NC and STC parameters. House #1, the Metroplex’s largest theater, accommodates an audience of 430. The five other public theaters (#2-6) seat groups of 151, 138, 136, and 97 guests respectively. Additionally, three plush VIP Screening Suites (#’s 7,8, 9) have been created to host elite clusters of twenty guests each. Theaters 1 & 3 and all three of the VIP Suites offer opulent reclining lounge chairs, state of the art lighting, exquisite interior designs and Dolby(r) Atmos(tm)+ Dolby Surround 7. 1 sound. The four other theaters are outfitted with Dolby Surround 7.1. The futuristic lobby and dining areas provide an unsurpassed ambience for elegant gatherings.
“These theaters are among the most sumptuous we have ever seen,” Sergio Molho concludes. “The developers spared no expense in creating a new standard of luxury and comfort for their guests, no extravagance was overlooked. Their mission statement was clear, ‘we are here to pamper our audience and to provide the ultimate environment for ideal viewing and listening excellence’. We made a special point of doing everything possible to help them reach that goal.”
Photos
1. Metroplex Lobby
2. Metroplex Cinema 1
3. Metroplex Dining Hall
4. Metroplex VIP Screening Suite #8
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Walters-Storyk Design Group has designed over 3500 media facilities worldwide. Credits include Jimi Hendrix’s 1969’s Electric Lady Studios; NYC’s Jazz At Lincoln Center and Le Poisson Rouge; broadcast facilities for The Food Network, ESPN, and WNET; major education complexes for NYU and Berklee College of Music Boston and Valencia, Spain; media rooms for Hoffman La Roche, and other corporate clients. Recent projects include NYC’s TEC award winner Jungle City Studios and private studios for Green Day, Jay-Z, Timbaland’s Tim Mosley, film composer Carter Burwell, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen and Alicia Keys. WSDG principals John Storyk (an adjunct professor at Berklee College,) Beth Walters, Sergio Molho and Dirk Noy lecture frequently at universities and industry events, and contribute regularly to industry publications.WSDG has collaborated with such noted architects as Frank Gehry, Rafael Vinoly, Norman Foster, Oscar Niemeyer, Phillipe Stark and Nicholas Grimshaw. WSDG is a seven-time winner of the prestigious NAMM TEC Award for outstanding achievement in Acoustics/Facility Design. The firm maintains offices in NY, SF, LA, Miami, Buenos Aires,Belo Horizonte, Basel, Beijing, Barcelona, Mexico City, St,. Petersburg and Mumbai.
