Nordic-meets-Vegas using Genelec at Jacy’z hotel & resort

The latest addition to the Gothenburg skyline is ‘Kineum’, a 28-storey beacon of glass and steel that can be seen from miles around.

The building houses Jacy’z hotel and resort – the latest venture from Swedish hospitality entrepreneur, ESS Group – which offers a Nordic take on an upscale Las Vegas resort.

Guests can choose from three restaurants and a pool club and spa on the top two floors, plus award-winning conference facilities, a hotel-within-a-hotel on floors 17 and 18, a gym and a secret speakeasy bar.

Swedish AV integration firm, Informationsteknik AB was contracted to design and supply all of the AV and conferencing systems throughout the building, which included over 130 Genelec 4000 Series and Smart IP loudspeakers.

“ESS Group has a lot of accumulated knowledge about sound and design and a fantastic sense of the details that create exciting hotel environments for guests,” explained Informationsteknik key account manager, Karl Arnell.

“Our goal was to fulfil their vision in everything from product selection to technical solutions and control systems – creating the best possible solution for both the guests and the customer.”

Informationsteknik invited ESS to a series of listening tests so they could see and hear Genelec technology for themselves, specifically the 4000 Series and Smart IP installation ranges.

Following the demonstrations, it was decided that Genelec systems would be used for all the public areas, restaurants, bars, lounges, conference rooms and break-out areas, the 18th floor hotel suite and the gym.

“Music plays an important part of the ESS Group hotel experience, and at Jacy’z the intention was to elevate the experience even further,” explained Informationsteknik’s Joakim Leissner, who was responsible for system design. “The demos convinced the client beyond any doubt that Genelec was the right brand to help achieve this goal.”

“We want to develop all the time,” added ESS Group’s Christoffer Laudon – who was responsible for sound and video for the Jacy’z project.

“Jacy'z AV solution took inspiration from our other hotels – Ellery Beach House and Steam – where we have top level technology and conference rooms. With Jacy'z, we wanted to challenge ourselves and set the level of ambition for sound and image even higher.”

“We looked at all the building's zones and drawings to see what solutions were possible,” continued Leissner.

“We proposed products, zone by zone, and developed room types that were equipped with the same technical solution. Genelec fits the bill for most of the public areas – such as restaurants, bars and lounges – thanks to their extraordinarily clean, transparent reproduction, both at high and low levels, their aesthetic form factor and their small footprint relative to power output.

“The room response controls on the back of each loudspeaker make them easy to configure for optimum performance, and they are available in numerous different RAL colours if required.

“From an integrator’s perspective, Genelec designs are easy to use as they are active – which means no external amplifiers to worry about – and we know we can count on rock-solid reliability for years, even decades to come. In a world where sustainability is ever more critical, this is an important consideration.”

Whilst the majority of Genelec loudspeakers used throughout Jacy’z are from the 4000 Series, there are certain areas where Informationsteknik opted for a Smart IP networked loudspeaker solution – namely the boardrooms on the 4th floor and the grand suite on the 18th floor.

“Smart IP definitely takes the Genelec experience to the next level – the convenience of having audio, power and control over just a single CAT cable is a huge advantage for integrators,” said Leissner.

“We also appreciated the Smart IP Manager software which made device discovery and configuration easy and straightforward, and provides status monitoring so we know how the system is performing at all times. So, for us, combining 4000 and Smart IP series models across the project produced the ideal balance of cost-effectiveness and networked flexibility."

In terms of networking and control, Informationsteknik supplied a Biamp Tesira server with both Dante and AVB support that handles all of the audio traffic, fully stocked with expansion cards.

There are nine central music players with custom soundtracks to fit different themed areas which can be routed to any of the audio zones. A scheduling program runs in the background that adjusts volume and makes sure the correct source is playing in every zone.

Informationsteknik’s Hakan Bezgin was the project manager for Jacy’z. He recalls that with over 3,000 products in total, it was a complex project to manage and coordinate with the other contractors.

“ESS Group really wanted to maximise EVERYTHING,” he noted. “Their vision for appearance and function guided decisions in every detail. They are meticulous and have a great eye for what works in colour and form. Weekly coordination meetings with all the subcontractors involved in the construction process allowed us to reach the finish line on time, within budget and with the quality we want to deliver. It has been inspiring to be part of the journey!”

“Jacy'z is a truly fantastic meeting place and destination,” concluded Leissner. “And it is the attention to detail that makes it extraordinary. We’re proud of what we have achieved here and look forward to rolling out the same AV technological blueprint for ESS Group hotels everywhere.”