Ace Audio Junction: For a sound experience...

Ace Audio Junction unveiled their second exclusive showroom in Kolkata after their successful stint in Guwahati recently. For catering to the bigger market of East region, the brand opened the store in a very up-market locale of South Kolkata at P256, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay Sarani, behind Triangular Park. Music systems, amplifiers, speakers, home theatres from high-end brands such as Focal from France and Harman Luxury Audio Group which includes Mark Levinson, JBL, Revel and Lexicon are all at display in a complete new environment at the store. Each and every aspect of the store has been dealt intricately to enhance the feel of the sounds emanating.

The white front facade with double glass volume having a height of 16ft. welcomes the customers giving a larger-than-life setting which sets the mood for such a specialized merchandise. Spread over an area of 2,500 sq.ft across two levels with an exclusive retail section and three demo rooms all are fully automated to create the accurate ambience of a home theatre. For enhancing the experience of the shoppers, all the demo rooms have been designed in such a manner so as to keeping sound proof multimedia and technical support system ensuring that the right chord is struck. The interior has been planned especially keeping in mind the sleekness of the products and efforts have been taken to ensure the decor is not overpowering. This thought is carried through the space through a subtle colour palette and the right selection of structural format.

Ayan Sen, Architect of the project shares, "We have used red, black and white to define the store interiors and feel that it portrays the taste of modern youth of this city. It was our aim to keep away the visual noise.”

Thus the space is clean and minimalist, having a marked and controlled colour palette reflecting an international look that matches the merchandise. The design language communicates a linear line of architecture which is in sync with the brand image of'Focal'. On the upper level, the corridor has been given a unique touch with the circle punctuated on steel base matching the brand objective. The scope of creating a retail space like this was a challenge and perhaps it came out following the fundamental ethos of structural design.   



The lighting arrangements have played a pivotal role in this project and may be described as'soft' and'ambient' with specific focus on the products. What distinguishes the space are the seating arrangements with comfortable furniture that give a relaxed feel helping one focus on the auditory and visual senses. The USP of the of the space is in fact  this feature that neutralises all other distractions. As Ayan further mentions explains, "Going back to the basics, following a minimalist way perhaps has been the innovation which drives the whole interior of this retail design project.”

While informing about the objective of the brand and how it is complimenting the design concept involved, Devasis Barkataki Director Ace Acoustics & Audio Video Solutions Pvt. Ltd. says, "We have brought to Kolkata world's best speakers'Focal'. On display we have products starting from Rs 65, 000 to Rs 45 lakhs, thus our aim is to target that particular segment which does not compromise on the quality of audio and video. The project took us six months to complete and there is no such store here in this region. We believe that people here know their stuff and this gave us the confidence in taking up the challenge so that  our customers will surely understand and feel the real difference of our products. No market is prepared beforehand for such an innovative store, but we need to educate our customers as retailers and unless they see it and get the real touch and feel, that desire to purchase is not triggered off. A few years down the line we have further plans to go Pan India with this concept.”

Photographs: Madhumita Chatterjee