With its origins in the 1980s retail hi-fi boom, UK company Cornflake is a specialist in home automation renowned for its expertise in high-end audio. The company recently undertook an installation project for Maddux Creative X Fromental at the WOW!house showhome exhibition at Chelsea Harbour, a collaboration between designers, craftspeople and specialist suppliers that has resulted in one of the most striking exhibits at the month-long event.
Dubbed the 3am Room, the audio focus of this project was the integration of K-array’s miniature Lyzard loudspeakers, which brought a new dimension in audio excellence and a relaxing sonic backdrop.
‘We had been speaking with Maddux for some time and had been looking for a project to work together on for a while,’ recounts Cornflake Design Director Ben Rodrick. ‘This was a really good opportunity to showcase the benefits of technology in unique spaces; emphasising high-performance, functional, engaging and highly-usable tech that blends into its surroundings effortlessly, encouraging visitors to feel, hear and sense their way through the room and go beyond just seeing. The objective was to create a space that is naturally engaging and one that inspires curiosity. It’s a good example of what we could do in a very short time frame in a complex environment where the budget constraints were maximal, and how we can be agile and flexible in this kind of process.’
At WOW!house, numerous rooms compete to create a real wow factor and a jaw-dropping experience. Consequently, it was decided to introduce an additional dimension – that of sound – to further elevate the user experience beyond just the lighting, tactile textures, and automated scenting systems, triggering as many senses as possible.
The intention behind 3am Room was to create a utopian environment to foster human connection, conversation and community, a conversational room centred around its Cuddle Puddle – two bespoke George Smith sofas creating a comfortable conversational pit – with walls adorned with reflective surfaces and a densely textured wall featuring a cabinet of curiosities to explore. The room is illuminated with strategically placed lighting, accentuated with objects, free forms and a starburst of light, and bathed with relaxing sounds from the most discreet speakers imaginable from K-array.
The sound system is elegantly simple: four Lyzard-KZ14 ultra-micro line array speakers almost invisibly cover the room from each corner, mounted on custom gimbal brackets that allow optimum aiming angles to be easily set. The KZ14’s four high-efficiency drive units are housed in a milled aluminium enclosure measuring 100mm x 22mm 11mm and weighing 59g, and cross over to the concealed Rumble-KU44 subwoofer at 500Hz, providing full-range audio in a dispersion pattern of 140° horizontal by 40° vertical. Two are finished in white; the other two in black to blend into the room design. The loudspeakers are powered by a Kommander-KA02 amplifier.
‘We were in at the deep end a little on this project in terms of the sheer numbers of trades involved, all of whom naturally wanted to get their stuff in first, and with only a limited time window to get it all done,’ Rodric says. ‘However, Matt Holland from 2B Heard had come down to our offices in advance to set up all the source equipment and do a pre-test and that really helped with logistics, so when we got on site we had the reassurance of a performance benchmark that meant all we had to do was wire up and commission it. It was a basic project management challenge really, but the team were awesome and the set up was flawless.
‘The clients’ first reaction when we showed them the KZ14s was: “are you sure?” but when the system was set up and turned on any doubts over what, given their size, they might sound like soon disappeared and they were suitably impressed. It just elevated that space in a way that we’d all hoped for and planned for.’
Jo leGleud, co-founder of Maddux Creative X Fromental, emphasises the role that the audio system played in bringing the space to life: ‘Despite the small size of the speakers, we were all blown away by their audio performance and the sound quality they delivered. The attention to detail and precision in K-array’s design truly enhanced the immersive experience, creating a soundscape that enveloped visitors and elevated their journey – the meticulous engineering behind these speakers brought an unparalleled level of clarity, depth, and richness to the space, leaving visitors astounded by the sonic landscape.’
‘Beyond the auditory delight, the aesthetics of the speakers were a testament to refined elegance. Their sleek design seamlessly integrated into the space, adding a touch of sophistication without compromising on functionality. Cornflake’s discreet and neat installation only enhanced the immersive experience, ensuring that every element in the room worked harmoniously to captivate and inspire.’
‘K-array was a great choice for this project because of the full range capability from the satellite speakers matched with the subwoofer,’ Rodrick says. ‘The satellite speakers are incredibly compact which gave us lots of flexibility within the design process, and that steered us towards K-array. In terms of audio quality and the distribution of sound, it just ticked so many boxes that most CI products just wouldn’t be able to do.’
‘The extraordinary journey we undertook with Cornflake for WOW!house was truly a testament to collaborative design-led excellence,’ LeGleud reflects. ‘From the initial concept to the meticulous development process, installation and commissioning, our partnership showcased the power of creativity and flexibility which allowed us to push boundaries and create a multi-sensory immersive environment. Our emphasis on user experience ensured that every aspect was carefully crafted to captivate and engage visitors, using cutting-edge technology to transport them into a world of wonder.’
‘If I was to pick out K-array’s outstanding features I would say it’s installer friendly, and by that I mean not only set up and commissioning but also the actual installation of the speakers,’ Rodrick says. ‘There was a fair amount of flexibility in terms of where we could mount them, and the reassuring factor that we had the confidence they would sound great before we had even set them up was overwhelmingly positive. In an environment you’re not so sure about it’s good to know that when you plug that speaker in you already have a basic EQ that’s 95 per cent of the way there and the rest of it is just real fine tuning, that’s something that’s really positive and also really cost efficient.
‘For us, it means less time on site, a faster install, and that means more smiles on faces.’
Other participants in the project included Altfield, Charles Burnand, ecoScent, George Smith, Illuminationworks, Lutron, Optelma, Pierre Frey, Tom Faulkner and The Royal School of Needlework.
