Recognised by the Michelin Guide as one of Aarhus’ best dining destinations, Gastromé recently relocated its blend of modern Nordic cuisine and European flair. In pursuit of more space, co-owners William Jørgensen and Søren Jakobsen have moved the venue north to a charming 1911 villa in the tranquil suburb of Risskov. Part of this venture, the team have installed a Genelec Smart IP loudspeaker system to maintain the restaurant’s atmosphere.
‘After a long search, we have found the perfect place to spread our wings,’ Jørgensen explains. ‘Our dream is to create a space where we take our current gastronomy as a starting point and refine the entire experience around the meal.’
The Gastromé team looked to systems integrator Thomas Vestergaard, to handle the audio system spec and installation ‘We wanted audio that could match the food,’ he says. ‘Due to the room sizes and, in many cases, the limited distances between the loudspeakers and the diners, we needed loudspeakers that were able to distribute linear and highly detailed sound reproduction at low levels. We also had to consider the constraints of working within a listed building – therefore, to minimise the infrastructure and use as light a touch as possible in installation terms, the Smart IP range from Genelec was an obvious choice.’
Requiring a single network cable to deliver audio, power and control and with no external amplification, Smart IP loudspeakers are often a preferred choice for heritage sites and installations looking to reduce cabling in favour of a fully networked system that can even share the same network as the IT infrastructure. Vestergaard installed 14 Genelec 4420A models throughout the various spaces in the restaurant, as well as the lounge and lobby areas. The system comprises separate zones that can be controlled independently via an iPad.
‘Installing a Smart IP system is about as easy as it gets for an integrator,’ he says. ‘Once you’ve decided on your loudspeaker positions, you just hang them up, connect them to the network with the CAT cable and you’re pretty much done. Genelec’s Smart IP Manager software takes all the headaches out of configuration and zoning and offers a much-appreciated level of control and monitoring.
‘At Gastromé we configured seven different zones, ensuring that the audio was optimised for each area.’
For the end-user, Smart IP offers tight integration with an increasing number of third-party control systems to provide easy, day-to-day management of functions such as mute, level control and power on/off,.
Sustainability was also an important goal for Gastromé as it forms a key part of the company’s philosophy – their cuisine is sourced from seasonal ingredients, local where possible, or better still, cultivated in their own garden. ‘Sustainability is part of Genelec’s DNA – everything they do and everything they produce comes from a sustainable mindset that has developed constantly since the company was formed nearly 50 years ago,’ says Vestergaard. ‘From the recycled aluminium used to manufacture loudspeakers through to energy and supply chain management, Genelec is one of the most sustainable companies I know.
‘The Smart IP solution is even more sustainable thanks to innovative PoE technology which delivers enormous energy savings compared to traditionally powered systems,’ he continues. ‘For example, at Gastromé, with the levels of audio playback during service, power consumption runs at less than 5W per loudspeaker – that’s amazing. And it was a really key thing for Gastromé.’
‘I’m proud of what we’ve achieved at Gastromé,’ he reflects. ‘They wanted the best in order to reflect their values and the quality of their dishes, and that’s what they’ve got.’
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