Kortrijk, 21 July 2014 – One of Barco’s top-range DP4K-32Bx digital cinema projectors has found itself a very stylish home: the 188-seat theater of the brand-new Ham Yard Hotel in London. The eighth London property in the renowned Firmdale Hotels group, Ham Yard Hotel opened in June. Just like three other Firmdale Hotels in London and one in New York, it features a state-of-the-art theater designed and equipped to the highest professional standards. Its luxurious setting and furniture, the lighting, the sound and Barco’s ultra-bright DP4K-32Bx projector all combine to provide hotel guests and other visitors with an entertainment experience beyond compare.
“Hotels should be living things not stuffy institutions," maintain Tim and Kit Kemp, owners of Firmdale Hotels. So their nine boutique hotels in London and New York offer a truly unique experience. Built from scratch around a new oak tree-filled courtyard in London’s West End, Ham Yard Hotel is the group's most ambitious project to date. The stylishly furnished bedrooms, suites and apartments, the restaurant and bar, the library, the spa and gym and the original, 1950s four-lane bowling alley imported from Texas: everything at Ham Yard underpins the group’s commitment to excellence. As does the 188-seat screening room. Beautifully designed with deeply comfortable, tangerine leather seats, it hosts the very best sound and projection possible.
Grand theater demands top-notch solutions
Firmdale Hotels asked Future Projections, a leading provider of specialist moving image technology, to help design the digital cinema system at Ham Yard Hotel, just like they had done in three other London-based Firmdale Hotels. “When we first worked together, they immediately chose to use a Barco digital cinema projector, on account of the excellent quality and reliability of the solutions, as well as Barco’s market leadership. So we installed three Barco digital cinema projectors, ranging from the DP-90P to the DP4K-23B,” explains Peter Hall, Managing Director at Future Projections. “This year, the group insisted on having a Barco projector at Ham Yard Hotel too. As Ham Yard Theater is the most luxurious and grandest of the four London theaters, the top-of-the-range DP4K-32Bx was the perfect fit.” Besides the Barco projectors, Future Projections also installed a top-notch, full DMX moving light rig and 48-channel sound with over 65kw of power speakers, to truly immerse the audience in the cinema experience.
High standard of excellence
“This projector is just what we needed. Be it for movies or alternative content, like the ‘Live at the Albert Hall’ or ‘Pulp’ concerts,” says Hayley Type, Firmdale Events Manager. “The projector delivers truly stunning images in crisp 4K resolution.” Barco, for its part, is delighted that the prestigious Firmdale Hotels group puts its trust in its solutions. “Firmdale Hotels holds itself to a very high standard of excellence and we’re proud that our digital cinema solutions fit the bill. We’re happy to contribute to the unique experience that the group creates,” concludes Mark Leahy, Barco Sales Manager digital Cinema.
