In the Middle East, a region that is always on the forefront of home technology – if only because we want what’s better than our neighbour’s and because many of us have the money to get it – there is one high-tech firm that claims to provide what’s arguably the most luxurious entertainment systems.
With several design-and tech-awards for its product offering under its belt, Archimedia comes into your home and turn your living space into a veritable theatre. The company’s boffins play around with acoustics, décor, lighting and all the high-tech equipment in their armoury until they achieve entertainment bliss. The company’s client list reads like a who’s who roster of Middle Eastern royalty and sovereigns, such as Dubai’s Al Maktoum family and Abu Dhabi’s Al Nahyan family, to name just two.
Archimedia was only established in 2003, trumpeting its mission “to combine the world’s best audio, video and automation brands with a unique bespoke design process.” In fact, unless you’re not a technology connoisseur, you may not even recognise any of the brands it carries. There are exclusive names like Bowers & Wilkins, Classé, Rotel, Kaleidescape, Crestron, Nevo, and Screen Research that will be vying to get into your home, provided you have the budget for them.
Take Bowers & Wilkins, for example, whose claim of creating “the world’s most advanced speakers” has been substantiated when its 685 Speakers won the prestigious EISA award in Europe last summer, with judges hailing a storm of compliments for its sound quality. (Also noteworthy is the B&W’s Zeppelin audio system for the iPod, which should be available this month).
But a home theatre system is not about speakers and screen only. The centrepiece these days is a media server. In Archimedia’s case, this would mean the prestigious Kaleidescape brand, whose Kserver-5000 won an award for excellence at the Consumer Electronics Show in Dubai last year. The model stores just about unlimited amounts of movies, TV episodes and music, allowing simple access to anything and at anytime. Needless to say, there won’t be any trailers or ads to distract you from what CES and others would call the ultimate viewing experience.
Another source of high-end movie viewing can also come from Archimedia’s latest D-box equipment, whose library of movies is played with motion simulating action. This gadget can even get movies with a high-speed connection to the internet.
Then there’s Sonos, which from the sounds of it offers an unparalleled experience in wireless music throughout the home. Recently, the Financial Times described the brand as belonging to the “few personal technology products that are so well designed and engineered that they set the benchmarks for all others.”
You would think all this sophistication makes for endless hours of programming, setting up systems and firing up different components to achieve desired results. Luckily, unlike the days of the multi-knob, multi-deck systems with bells and whistles that make you want to throw it all out of the window, luxury systems today are more user-friendly than ever and can be programmed (by Archimedia’s consultants) to operate with a touch of a couple of buttons at the most. Easy remote controls and touch screens are more the order of the day when it comes to such systems.
Beyond home theatre and sound equipment, Archimedia’s strength lies in developing home automation systems that represent an easy, intelligent way to control lighting, curtains, security and temperature even through the internet, thanks to big industry names in the field like Creston and Nevo. What Archimedia does is that it dispatches designers to the home, who team up with contractors and architects if needed, in order to integrate complete media and automation systems that don’t detract from the décor of any space.
The concept has been successful in the Arab world where home entertainment has become an important part of the culture. Archimedia boasts its flagship store in Dubai, with a second store having recently opened in Cairo. There are plans to open in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain to begin with, with Lebanon and Jordan hopefully following suit within the next couple of years. One thing is for certain, Archimedia is already rewriting the rules, bringing a luxury edge to the combo, home, cinema and system.
Contacts
Archimedia Dubai
Dubai, UAE
Tel +9714 337 0181
HYPERLINK "http://www.archimedia-me.com" www.archimedia-me.com
Archimedia Cairo
Cairo, Egypt
Tel +202 2 359 3060
HYPERLINK "http://www.archimedia-me.com" www.archimedia-me.com
