Occupying six floors of a building in Nekala, in the city of Tampere in Finland, the Grip Action Sports Hub is a new centre offering dedicated areas for a variety of amateur and professional sports, as well as spaces to warm down and relax. A Genelec Smart IP system provides the required consistent audio coverage and intelligibility, while accommodating ever-changing visitor behaviour.
Creating consistent sound across six floors of sports, hospitality, and meeting spaces presented a unique challenge for A/V integration company 4Business Oy. ‘We were tasked with delivering high-quality and consistent sound throughout the sports centre, with good coverage as a top priority,’ says 4Business Sales Manager, Kimmo Lauttajärvi.
The venue includes an Olympic-standard SkatePark, a 15m-high Climbing Centre, a gym, group training spaces, restaurant, sauna and observation areas. ‘With hard surfaces, uneven walls and constant activity, we required a powerful loudspeaker solution with flexible placement and precise directivity to ensure music and announcements remained clear.’
Already familiar with Finnish loudspeaker manufacturer Genelec, the owners of Grip Action were confident in 4Business’ recommendation to use the brand for the venue’s sound system. ‘We regularly rely on Genelec loudspeakers for a range of entertainment and hospitality projects,’ Lauttajärvi explains. ‘The client already trusted the brand’s quality and reliability, so it was a natural choice for this project.
‘During the design stage, the Genelec team assisted by recommending the most suitable product series for the unconventional acoustic spaces,’ he continues. ‘Following Genelec’s advice and based on our own experience, 57 Smart IP loudspeakers and six 4000 Series active installation loudspeakers were selected to deliver sound throughout the building. We knew the Smart IP models were particularly well-suited to the scale of this installation due to the ability to deliver power, audio and control over a single network cable.’
For 4Business, this would significantly simplify installation by reducing the cabling that would otherwise need to be routed around ramps, climbing structures and other physical obstacles.
On the first and second floors, 13 Smart IP 4430 loudspeakers were installed throughout the main SkatePark areas, including the Street, Park, Jump Track and Vert. Mounted on walls and concrete columns, the 4430s provide the high output and controlled coverage required to keep music and announcements clear throughout these large, noisy spaces. ‘A further nine ultra-compact 4410models provide background music across supporting areas, including the shop, changing rooms, showroom, office and break room,’ v says.
The Climbing Centre has seven 4430 loudspeakers, positioned on flat wall surfaces and directed towards climbers as they move across the angled climbing walls. Another two 4410s provide background music in the changing rooms. ‘All loudspeakers throughout the SkatePark and Climbing Centre feature Genelec’s RAW finish, which uses uncoated recycled aluminum cabinets,’ Lauttajärvi adds. ‘The natural finish fits nicely with the building’s industrial aesthetic.’
Within the Sports Centre, eight compact 4420 loudspeakers deliver background music and announcements throughout the gym, while two ultra-compact 4410 models provide consistent performance in the changing rooms. Two 4040loudspeakers from Genelec’s 4000 Series active installation range serve the group exercise studio, while two 4030 models deliver audio in the spinning studio. ‘The 4000 Series models suit the less complex areas, which require precise sound without needing to accommodate the unconventional infrastructure,’ Lauttajärvi says. These loudspeakers feature Genelec’s standard black finish to complement the premium appearance of the studios.
The sixth-floor meeting and function facilities include eight 4420 loudspeakers and two 4030 units, providing clear sound at comfortable listening levels. A further eight Smart IP loudspeakers provide coverage across the lobby and circulation areas, comprising three 4430 models on the first floor and one 4420 on each of the remaining five floors. Together, the system ensures a consistent audio experience throughout the building.
‘Thanks to Genelec, each area of the venue benefits from clear, consistent sound, while staff can easily tailor audio settings in each zone to suit the activity taking place,’ says Lauttajärvi. ‘The scale and architectural variety of the building could easily have made the system complicated to install and operate. Smart IP technology helped simplify both the physical installation and its ongoing management, with the flexibility to adjust each space as needed, while the 4000 Series provided a compact and detailed audio solution for smaller zones.
‘The overall sound quality has exceeded our expectations,’ says Grip Action Sports Hub CEO, Janne Sievänen. ‘The Genelec hardware is truly first-class, and combined with the extensive acoustic treatment throughout the building, the result is clear and balanced, even in our largest and most demanding spaces. For us, the most important thing is the end result – and in terms of sound quality, we are more than happy with what has been achieved.’