The newly developed Gasverket at Stockholm-based Berghs School of Communication, housed in a former gas plant that is now home to a growing community of cultural, educational, and social enterprises, is equipped with Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers deployed by integration firm Scan AV, also located in Stockholm.
“We moved to a new building and needed high-quality audio in the open areas,” says Bosse Hjerpe, facility manager at Berghs. “We turned to Scan AV for a solution that was flexible and – due to cost reasons – networked. The building was empty and needed to be equipped with everything, so a networked solution was much cheaper.”
Dragan Nedeljkovic, audio integrator at Scan AV, adds, “I’ve known Genelec for a while and my experience of working with Smart IP has been excellent, so I wanted to continue to implement this technology. I know all the advantages of a networked solution, so I asked Berghs to install the initial infrastructure with lots of network outlets, which gave us the flexibility to design the system however we liked.”
Berghs’ new home in the Gasverket is in a central part of the newly developed Norra Djurgårdsstaden district, a former industrial part of Stockholm that is currently undergoing intensive modernization. Aiming to be complete by 2029/30, the finished project will be home to restaurants, hotels, concert halls and more.
The Berghs project began with a network that spanned all three stories of the building, allowing Scan AV to cover the required areas while offering the flexibility to adapt the sound system as needed. Berghs’ previous campus was powered by more than 30 Genelec 4020 installation models. The new system at Gasverket comprises 24 Genelec 4430 Smart IP loudspeakers alongside eight of the previously used 4020 models that were brought over to be used as auditorium fills.
The Smart IP loudspeakers are distributed throughout the building, linked via a Dante-networked Xilica FR-1 digital processor that gives Berghs full control over the system. Smart IP models offer power, audio and loudspeaker management over a single CAT cable.
Zone one covers an open area between the entrance and the classrooms, as well as an informal hangout space and study area for students. Zone two covers the reception area and café, while zone three is a large open workspace. Zone four covers Berghs’ co-working area and zone five plays audio over an open elevated office space that is used by teachers, academics and their administration team. To configure and calibrate the new system, Scan AV made use of Genelec’s Smart IP Manager software.
“The entire building that Berghs now inhabits is equipped with integrated networked AV systems,” adds Nedeljkovic. “Audio, video and system control are all placed on Berghs’ physical network and supply large meeting and auditorium functionality to the school’s bigger events.
“Everything is connected on one, easily accessible PoE+ powered network that spans four server rooms. This was key to the brief that we first received from Berghs. Their system includes a variety of AVoIP units, mixing consoles, cameras, projectors, control systems and Dante audio connections, all living on one network that easily integrates with the Smart IP range.”
