Canada’s largest cycle studio opened in the new Altea Active club in Toronto’s Liberty Village with a unique experience for cyclists thanks to sparkAV and a Christie GS Series 1DLP laser projector, which was installed within the cycle studio, alongside other AV tech that was integrated into the club’s various amenities.
The club officially opened its doors on March 4, 2022, and the 89,000-square-foot centre features over 185 weekly studio fitness classes and unique amenities which include the relaxing Somadome Meditation Pods, a full-service in-club restaurant and entertainment features, including Duckpin Bowling and Topgolf Swing Suites.
“sparkAV was to design and implement immersive and state of the art technology solutions that tied in all aspects of AV, network and CCTV, with tie-ins to modern fitness technologies and customer engagement,” said Derek Shama, sparkAV’s president and co-founder. The goal, he explained, was to bring Altea Active’s stated vision “of an elevated fitness experience in an environment suitable for both physical and social wellness” to life.
The intention for the cycle studio was to create an experience that would transport members to roads all over the world. With 75 bikes, surround sound, music-synched lights and a 285-inch screen with a Christie laser projector, the cycle studio is a club highlight.
sparkAV explored several projectors for the cycle studio. “Ultimately, a Christie projector was chosen due to its specifications, industry excellence, Canadian support and presence, and premium image quality,” stated Shama. “[Altea Active] was very pleased that [it] could achieve all this with Christie and remain cost competitive.”
Despite the pandemic and unprecedented supply chain issues, sparkAV was able to successfully deliver the project on time and within budget and is currently collaborating on other Altea Active locations in Canada. “To say that the client is thrilled is an understatement,” exclaimed Shama. “As key stakeholders, investors, municipal officials and, of course, customers started coming through the doors, the results were the same – sheer awe with the space, its experience and the outstanding video quality.”
