FUJI FILM – Picture perfect experience Centre

The Fujifilm House of Photography, based in London’s Covent Garden, is the Japanese company’s first ever experience centre. Spread over three floors it is designed to inspire and encourage visitors to get creative and immerse themselves in the world of photography – from picture taking to picture making.

Designed as a new store concept which brings together the various parts of Fujifilm’s business under one roof, the House of Photography is intended to be much more than a traditional retail space.

The idea behind the centre is to encourage creative collaboration and photographic excellence, the store features various areas dedicated to different parts of the Fujifilm brand, including a basement lounge for its club members, a boutique for its GFX camera range, as well as selfie pods, free-to-use photography studios, space for workshops and much more. Visitors are encouraged to use the space to create vlogs and blogs, have cameras cleaned and serviced, hire professional studio space as well as get help choosing products.

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I am hugely excited to open the doors and welcome members of the public to the Fujifilm House of Photography. We believe we have created a true photography playground – a unique experience for anyone with an interest in taking photos and sharing the world around them, be that a complete novice or a professional.

Theo Georghiades, Project Leader, Fuji film House of photography

In order to create a unique space that caters for professionals, enthusiasts and amateur photographers alike, all while showcasing the best technology that Fujifilm has to offer, a high-end fit out was required and the background music system was deemed crucial to creating the right ambience.

To achieve this, StriveAV was called in to work alongside specialist AV and information technology consultant SM&W, which was selected for this project by Landmark Building and Property Services.

The goal was to deliver an immersive sound system covering all 700sqm of the House of Photography. Aesthetics were key across the eight individual, yet combinable, zones of audio and a robust wireless microphone solution that covered all floors was needed.

The overall quality of audio output was paramount to the project, so StriveAV specified QSC loudspeakers, subs and head end, and a Shure QLX-D wireless microphone system. SM&W’s information technology team delivered the structured cabling solution supporting the LAN, EPOC, CCTV, WiFi and video displays throughout the centre.

PROJECT CHALLENGES

The biggest challenge was designing an audio system that could offer high-quality coverage across such a large area while being flexible enough to handle the wide range of events and activities planned for the House of Photography.

The QSC system was chosen for its ease of configuration and operation along with its ability to deliver high-quality audio from various sources routed to multiple zones. In addition, the robust RF performance of the QLX-D digital wireless system from Shure ensured reliability even when operating on a crowded spectrum.

PROJECT OUTCOME

Since opening its doors in December 2019, the House of Photography has received unanimously positive reviews, with the Fujifilm team praising the rich and immersive audio experience throughout the experience centre, as well as the clarity, power and coverage of the system.