Amy Shell and Razvan Voroneanu co-founded Common Projects Newburgh, an initiative focused on reactivating underutilized sites in the New York town through architectural project, public installations, and cultural programming. Their first project, the Newburgh Cinemabox, transforms an empty lot into a flexible, multimedia-equipped pavilion powered by an Epson large venue laser projector to host film screenings, digital art exhibitions, and a variety of other events.
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By day a pavilion and by night a big-screen hub, the Cinemabox is a multimedia venue open to artists, storytellers, and community members for creative and community-engaged initiatives. First conceptualized in 2014, Shell and Voroneanu started initial groundwork in 2023, collaborating with local partners and landowners to site and fabricate a majority of the Cinemabox themselves from the ground up until its cmpletion in October 2025.
“Our vision for the Cinemabox is to bring film production and architectural design as equal, interdisciplinary partners, collaborating across industries to create a space where creativity and community converge in meaningful ways,” said Voroneanu. “Coupling a professional projection system in a compact, modular structure, this project tests how one piece of infrastructure can serve both creative production and public use.”
A six-module steel structure, the Cinemabox enclosure measures 19x18 feet on the bottom and 13-feet high with a 20x10-foot stage. Shell and Voroneanu were seeking a display solution to complete the Cinemabox project that could deliver high brightness and endure various environmental conditions. Given this, it features two foldable polycarbonate doors that encase a 240-inch screen and innovative rear projection system powered by the Epson Pro Series laser projectors with 4K Enhancement and encased by Epson’s new ELPMB84 Projector Stacking Frame.
“This venue was unique for projection. We needed a solution that would be bright and hardy enough to endure various environmental impacts that would come from this outdoor venue,” said Shell. “We also needed to be able to bring the projector up and down with each event, so while it needed to be a beast of a projector, it also couldn’t be too large that we weren’t able to move it around between the two of us.”
Ideal for the Cinemabox, the Epson Pro Series laser projector offers a robust chassis and durable design while remaining compact enough for setup and teardown between events. Its brightness and display quality also ensure that all types of content look sharp and vibrant, supporting the wide range of events planned for this unique project.
“We had to think outside the box on this project, particularly when it came to mounting and movement of the projector, as we needed to be able to move it back and forth, adjusting the image size for different types of content,” said Voroneanu. “One feature that proved to be especially helpful was the projector frame that Epson suggested. This kept the projector secure during transport and made it easy to rig onto the custom-built railing system, allowing it to move smoothly back and forth. Another piece was designing a lift system to mount the projector onto the railing and Epson helped guide us in this process towards an ideal solution.”
“When Amy and Razvan first approached us, we were immediately excited to be part of this project,” said Ramzi Shakra, senior product manager, Epson America. “Their architectural vision and background promised something unique and we were thrilled to help bring it to life by illuminating the space with the Epson projector.”
