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Front view of Durbanville home cinema with floating 120-inch screen and M&K Dolby Atmos ceiling speakers -
Durbanville home cinema with tiered seating, floating projection screen and layered lighting -
Custom rear wall lighting behind tiered seating in Durbanville home cinema
THE BRIEF
A dedicated cinema shaped as part of a new Durbanville home, combining immersive M&K sound, a floating acoustically transparent screen and a lighting scheme designed as part of the experience.
Designed and built by Mirror Edge Networks, with our team responsible for the room concept, technical planning, infrastructure, equipment integration, installation and commissioning.
Mirror Edge Networks joined the project in October 2023 while the house was still under construction. Working during the build phase allowed the cinema infrastructure, loudspeaker positions, projection system, control and lighting details to be coordinated before the room was finished. The completed cinema was handed over on 27 April 2024.
The Brief
The client wanted a dedicated home cinema with a generous large-format image, enveloping Dolby Atmos sound and an interior that would feel dramatic from the moment the room was entered.
The design therefore needed to bring together performance, comfort and atmosphere. Every visible element—from the screen wall and tiered seating to the ceiling details and illuminated rear feature—had to contribute to one coherent cinema environment.
Designed During Construction
Beginning the project during construction gave us the opportunity to plan the cabling, loudspeaker locations, equipment requirements and lighting integration around the architecture of the new home.
This early coordination was particularly important for the four in-ceiling Dolby Atmos channels, the screen structure and the layered lighting details. It also allowed the finished room to feel intentional rather than like technology added after the house was complete.
A Floating 120-Inch Screen
The client supplied a Hisense ultra-short-throw projector, paired with a 120-inch diagonal JK Screens acoustically transparent projection screen. Its nylon-weave surface allows the front loudspeakers to be positioned behind the picture so that dialogue and effects remain anchored to the action on screen.
We modified the screen installation to create a floating visual effect. LED backlighting separates the screen from the surrounding wall and forms part of the room-entry lighting sequence, giving the cinema a distinctive sense of arrival before the film begins.
Anthem and M&K Dolby Atmos Sound
An Anthem MRX 1140 surround-sound receiver sits at the heart of the audio system. M&K 950 Series loudspeakers provide the left, centre and right channels together with the surround channels, while four M&K IC95 in-ceiling speakers create the overhead Dolby Atmos layer.
An M&K V12+ subwoofer supplies the low-frequency foundation, completing a system designed to deliver clear dialogue, controlled impact and an immersive sound field across both seating rows.
Lighting as Part of the Experience
Lighting supplied by GFP Lighting was treated as a central part of the room rather than a finishing accessory. Layered ceiling illumination, screen backlighting and wall lighting allow the atmosphere to change between entry, seating and viewing.
At the rear of the cinema, we designed a bespoke illuminated wall detail using more than 30 individual light fittings. The vertical rhythm creates a striking focal point behind the tiered seating and gives the room an identity that is entirely its own.
Simple Control4 Operation
Day-to-day operation is handled through a Control4 SR-260 handheld remote. The tactile remote keeps cinema control straightforward, bringing the system and programmed lighting sequence together without requiring the user to manage several separate devices.
The Result
The finished Durbanville cinema combines a 120-inch floating image with an Anthem and M&K Dolby Atmos system, tiered seating and a genuinely distinctive lighting design.
Because the technical planning began during construction, the cinema feels integrated into the new home. The equipment supports the experience while the screen, lighting and carefully composed interior give the room its character.
Planning a dedicated home cinema?
Mirror Edge Networks can coordinate cinema design, audiovisual infrastructure, projection, immersive sound, lighting and control from the earliest construction stage. Discuss your home cinema project with us.
