Integrator Fremlab delivered AV systems for one of the world’s tallest wooden buildings, providing the Elite hotel with easy-to-use systems that matched the high-end aesthetic of the unique building. Anna Mitchell reports.
A subarctic city of 36,000 inhabitants in Swedish Lapland has some surprising claims to fame. In 2021 Skellefteå became home to one of the world’s tallest wooden buildings when the Sara Kulturhus and attached Wood Hotel by Elite opened to the public.
The Wood Hotel stands at 20 storeys high and serves what was historically an industrial and mining city that is modernising and diversifying; in 2023 a gargantuan battery plant will open in the city, while local natural attractions and cultural highlights are helping position Skellefteå as a popular tourist destination. In keeping with the direction the city is moving in, the Wood Hotel is making its mark as a ‘destination’ hotel, offering high-class dining, a luxurious spa and top-notch conference and event facilities.
"Fremlab listened to our requirements, delivered what we needed but then simplified the way we control the system, it’s very user-friendly." - David Åberg, The Wood Hotel
The task of designing and installing AV systems throughout the shared areas of the hotel fell to Helsingborg system integration firm Fremlab. The company, that celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, has many hotel projects to its name and a long association with the Elite Hotels Group.
Despite a wealth of experience in the field, the project still had a few ‘firsts’ for the Fremlab team and Carl-Fredrik Malmgren, owner of Fremlab, notes this was the first building his team had worked on constructed entirely from wood.
“There’s no steel, no concrete, just wood. It made installation really easy,” says Malmgren, joking: “all you need for installation is long screws!”
The hotel primarily called on Fremlab for a large audio system with diverse needs. “We needed audio throughout the hotel including outdoor spaces and for some restaurant areas it needed to be pretty loud,” says David Åberg, general manager at The Wood Hotel.
Fremlab installed an extensive Bose audio system, networked using Audinate’s Dante platform. It comprises 136 speakers as well as amplifiers and subs, spans 16 zones throughout the hotel and was designed by independent specialist Anders Wernersson. Malmgren says the choice of Bose for all the audio needs at the hotel was simple: “it’s good quality sound, it’s reliable and I have very good support from Bose.”
At the heart of the system are two Bose ControlSpace EX-1280 digital signal processors with Dante connectivity. A dedicated player, linked to the networked system using an Audinate analogue to Dante transmitter, handles background music for the whole hotel.
“Wherever you want to have that music, it’s just a question of routing,” says Malgrem. “But then other zones have their own audio sources of course.”
Staff can access control of the system via Crestron touchpanels and for simpler functions Bose ControlCenter control panels.
"There’s no steel, no concrete, just wood. It made installation really easy, all you need is long screws!" - Carl-Fredrik Malmgren, Fremlab
The hotel has three conference spaces named Myran, Tjärdalen and Salvia that seat 70, 100 and 60 people respectively. The 70- and 100-seat spaces can also be combined to create one larger area.
Tjärdalen, the largest room, uses a Panasonic PT-VMZ60 series projector firing on to a motorised 270cm Draper Xpert projection screen. Fremlab fitted a Radial transformer to take audio from the projector on a 3.5mm connector and convert it to a mono, balanced signal. The balanced audio signal is then fed to a Bose ControlSpace EX-1280 digital signal processor in a central Middle Atlantic 19-in rack. As well as creating a mono signal this avoids any noise and hum that could be generated otherwise.
Guests using the conference facility can share content via Barco Clickshare C-10 wireless presentation systems. Presenters are provided with Sennheiser SpeechLine digital wireless microphone system with a choice of three headsets or one hand mic.
Audio in the space is delivered via 12 Bose DesignMax DM5C speakers and DM10 subwoofer powered by a Bose PowerMatch 8250 amplifier. All AV within the Tjärdalen room can be controlled by a 7-in Crestron TSW770 touchpanel.
The 70-seat Myran and 60-seat Salvia rooms have similar AV set ups. These slightly smaller spaces only require nine Bose DesignMax DM5C speakers each. When the Myran room is paired with Tjärdalen the Bose processor combines the audio setup across the two rooms. Myran also houses a Crestron HDMI signal switcher.
Fremlab also created a mobile videoconferencing system. A Panasonic 75-in 4K LCD panel and a Crestron UC-SB1-CAM videoconference soundbar and camera mounted on a custom-built, wheeled unit.
Outside the conference rooms on floor four is a control room that serves the three meeting areas. Crestron kit for lighting, shading and projector screen control is housed here including a DIN-AP4 4-series DIN rail control system, four DIN-2MC2 DIN rail motor controls and a DIN-DALI-2 DIN rail 2-channel DALI interface.
There are three restaurants in the Wood Hotel: Miss Voon, Mandel and Paolo’s. Mandel is situated on floor four alongside the conference facilities. Background music in the lobby for both the restaurant and meeting rooms is delivered by four Bose DesignMax DM3C loudspeakers.
Guests dining at Mandel restaurant have access to a large roof terrace overlooking the square in front of the hotel. Thirty-eight Bose DesignMax DM3SE and DM3SC speakers are installed through the space: the terrace is served by ten speakers, while the restaurant makes use of a further 24, and the lobby and bathrooms house four speakers. A Bose PowerMatch PM8500N amplifier with Dante network card and a PowerShare PS404D amplifier power the speakers. Staff in the restaurant can access control functions via a Crestron 7-in TSW770 touchscreen.
Up on the 19th floor, Miss Voon has a Bose CC-2 zone controller that allows staff to choose music from the restaurant’s dedicated background music player or the XLR input provided for live DJs.
Whichever source is chosen will play out throughout the restaurant via Bose DesignMax speakers and subs (14 Bose DM3SE speakers and 4 DM10S-SUB), and in the Miss Voon hallway, bathroom and lobby where eight Bose DM3C speakers are installed.
The speakers are powered by two Bose PowerMatch 8500N amplifiers with Dante network and AMPLink input cards, as well as a PowerShare PS404D and FreeSpace IZA 190 amplifiers.
Malgrem says: “There is a fixed level of volume in the foyer and the bathrooms to avoid the levels becoming too loud. If an adjustment is required there is a hidden area in the Crestron control panel. We take the same approach in the spa and in the elevators where you generally only need to fix the volume once. I’ve also learnt that if you have too many controls and knobs people get confused, less is more.”
Fremlab’s efforts in delivering simple control paid off with Åberg commenting: “We have about 120 employees, not everyone is familiar with technology and all three restaurants have slightly different control options. But Fremlab listened to our requirements, delivered what we needed but then simplified the way we control the system, it’s very user-friendly.”
The final restaurant is Paolo’s at the entrance. This facility has four Bose DesignMax DM5SE loudspeakers controlled by a Bose CC2D control panel, with a further four DM3SE loudspeakers to cover outdoor seating.
At the top of the building is the Vana spa where guests can relax and unwind with background music delivered via the Bose sound system. Fremlab deployed 22 Bose DesignMax DM3C loudspeakers throughout the spa and locker rooms. The outside pool area uses 11 Bose DesignMax DM3SE loudspeakers and a MB210-WR outdoor subwoofer. The treatment areas use two DesignMax DM5C speakers and even the sauna has three DesignMax DM3SE speakers.
Staff in the spa can control the system using three Crestron touchscreens: one 10-in TS-1070 in reception, and a 5-in TSW-570 panel in each treatment room. The spa is served by a control room on floor 20 that houses Crestron kit for lighting and shading control. As well as the spa, the hotel has a gym on the 18th floor where audio is delivered via six Bose DesignMax DM5SE speakers.
Åberg says the hotel has already hosted many guests and events, testing the systems capabilities. “We’re very happy,” he says. “Fremlab contributed a lot of interesting elements and when it came to delivery, we were very pleased with their service. I really appreciate the user experience. It’s easy to select zones and see what you are playing and it’s self-explanatory.”
Tech-Spec
Audio
Bose DesignMax DM5C, DM5SE, DM2-LP, DM3C, DM3SC and DM3SE speakers and DM10 subs; MB210-WR outdoor sub; ControlSpace EX-1280 DSPs; and PowerMatch PM8250N and PM8500N, PowerShare PS404D and FreeSpace IZA 190 amplifiers
Radial transformers
Sennheiser SpeechLine wireless microphone system
Video
Barco Clickshare C10 systems
Crestron HD-MD4X2 HDMI matrix and UC-SB1-CAM videoconferencing bar
Draper Xpert projection screens
Panasonic PT-VMZ60 series projectors and 75-in LCD
Control
Bose CC1D and CC2D control panels
Crestron TSW770, TSW-570 and TS-1070 touchscreens; DIN-AP4 control processors with DIN-PWS60 power supplies; DIN-2MC2 motor control module; DIN-DALI-2 DALI interfaces; and DIN-8SW8-I and DIN-1DIMU4 lighting control modules
Middle Atlantic rack