Client
Forum Groningen
Year of Completion
2019
Size of Project
Exhibition hall, Cinemas (indoor & outdoor), Auditorium
Location
Groningen, Netherlands
In the city of Groningen, the Forum towers 45 meters over the city center and features two towers, ten floors, and a modern rooftop terrace. This state-of-the-art multiplex houses meeting and cultural spaces as well as galleries, cinemas, library, and much more.
The GPA team in the Netherlands, AVEX International was tasked with devising a highly intricate, interconnected audio-visual installation. This installation not only needed to service this incredibly complex venue but also provide the “wow” factor that would equal and even surpass the venue itself.
The project was a huge and very complicated build, part AV, part cinema system – an unusual combination. The tender was put out throughout Europe, thus increasing the competitive factor many folds.
The other significant challenge was the considerable delays with the build. Originally allowing 6 years for the construction, the project took eventually 10 years to complete.
This meant constantly revising the equipment that would eventually be integrated, by eliminating outdated technology that could impact user experience.
AVEX partnered with a cinema specialist on the project to provide the best integration of both AV and cinema specifications and create a state-of-the-art experience. The cinema rooms offer flexible dual applications for both film screenings and presentations. The partnership provided the added edge needed with the submission and delivery.
One of AVEX major balancing act was to keep an eye on developments within the emerging technologies available and mitigate potential massive budget overrun. In the end, the revised design and equipment over-delivered on the customer’s expectations.
Today, the Forum’s large reception area greets visitors with a LED video wall measuring 10 x 5 meters and is a testament to the implementation team’s ingenuity. The rooftop outdoor cinema that towers over the center of the city is must-see while visiting Groningen, and the backbone of the Forum, a highly comprehensive AVoIp system streams content that can simultaneously be transmitted throughout the building.
In the end, the winning factor for the success of the project was the understanding that it needed to be a coordinated effort between teams from different disciplines, in this case, cinema and AV. It also was important to keep the customer abreast of the challenges.
Great relationships developed as an added benefit, making the project an even bigger success.
