028 REPORT
ST. PANCRAS RENAISSANCE HOTEL
Company: Biamp Location: London, UK
The St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel is one of London’s most recognisable build- ings and is located at the terminus of the Eurostar cross-Channel train at St. Pancras Station. Originally constructed in the 1860s, it first opened its doors as the Midland Grand Hotel in 1873, so-named after the London Midland Railway that operated out of the station. With its gothic styling, murals, decorative ceilings and large windows, the hotel was an instant success and remained one of the most fashionable hotels in London well into the first half of the 20th century. After closing in the 1930s, it subsequently fell into a cycle of decay and neglect, which lasted 60 years. Its revival began when the St. Pancras location was selected as the new terminus for Eurostar, prompting a huge programme to modernise the entire station and its buildings including the original Midland Grand Hotel. The renovations have seen the hotel restored to its former glories in every detail, albeit with the addition of some ultra-modern touches. Primary contractor EMCOR Engineering Services approached long-time Biamp Systems partner proAV, to design and install a networked audio system. The system needed to incorporate the latest technology and deliver an audio solution that reinforced the entire guest experience, one that helps make the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel a premier destination for tourists and business people alike. While the hotel was looking for an audio system that could be highly tailored to suit different areas and needs throughout the hotel, the key considerations were the tight building regulations put in place by English Heritage, the UK Government’s historic architecture and preservation commission. The regulations provide clear expectations and building guidelines for any improvements made to a structure identified and protected by this organisation. They include tight restrictions on building techniques and materials, enabling valuable buildings to be preserved in their original form for the future. As a Grade 1 listed building the hotel enjoys highly protected status, and any kind of drilling or demolition work is prohibited including making new holes for cables
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and speaker connections. Alongside this, Marriott International sets stringent guidelines for its audio-visual systems in order to maintain its high standards of customer service. These guidelines set standard specifications depending on the use of each room or space. Marriott’s AV systems range from lower-quality speak- ers for background music in public spa areas to high-end speakers and individual remote input units in its business meeting rooms. The remote units allow any audio source - such as laptops, MP3 players, even telephone systems - to be heard in each room. In all, it made for an interesting challenge for proAV. Working with UK distributor Polar Audio the proAV team designed and imple- mented a state-of-the-art networked audio system for the entire hotel - including a networked public address and voice evacuation system using Biamp’s Vocia net- worked audio platform. By using Vocia, proAV installed a paging and background music system that was scalable and robust, ensuring that key messages could be communicated no matter what the situation, even during emergencies. The decen- tralised nature of the Biamp product meant that no matter what was happening in the hotel, the system would continue to work. proAV’s design included cabinet and ceiling speakers, which were installed throughout the hotel’s public areas, plus top-of the-range Bose wall-mounted speakers throughout the numerous meeting rooms. Connecting each of the rooms together are three Vocia VA-8600 networked multi-channel amplifiers, each hous- ing up to eight 600W amplifier cards, along with a Vocia MS-1 message server. The installation also incorporated Vocia WR-1 wall remote controllers in each of the six meeting rooms, the main lobby, the bars and spa complex, as well as the Vocia DS-10 desk station microphone at main reception. The new system harnessed Vocia’s decentralised architecture to deliver a network of amplifiers, speakers and desk stations connected by basic Cat5 cables and Cisco Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) switches. This provides a reliable audio solution, which is reliable and flexible enough to grow with the hotel’s needs now and in the future.
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