At Expo Milano 2015 in Italy, the UK Pavilion uses a concealed, multi-zone Meyer
Sound system with IntelligentDC™ technology to deliver an immersive experience
for visitors. Aligning with the Expo’s “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’ theme, the
Pavilion emphasizes the role of pollination in our food supply with a meadow and
14-meter high, aluminum beehive delivering a three-dimensional surround mix of
music, nature, and bee sounds.
“The quality of Meyer Sound products assures that I can place my full confidence in
their performance,’ says Mike Bedford, audio system designer for the Pavilion and
principal at Hoare Lea Acoustics of London. “Certainly the unobtrusive MM-4XP
loudspeaker is a good architectural fit for the hive and the meadow, but even more
important is the quality of the sound and the dynamics it can produce. It excels at
quiet, intricate sounds, yet it can also handle loud, high impact sounds.’
Conceived and designed by Nottingham-based artist and sculptor Wolfgang Buttress,
the hive features audio effects delivered by 18 MM-4XP self-powered loudspeakers
and six MM-10XP subwoofers. Two UP-4XP and 12 MM-4XP loudspeakers and two
MM-10XP subwoofers create audio zones at the front entrance and throughout the
meadow, delivering a constantly shifting palette of musically enhanced, natural
meadow and bee sounds that lead visitors to the culminating experience of the hive.
A small conference centre apart from the hive houses two UP-4XP loudspeakers and
one MM-10XP subwoofer.
“The MM-10XPs provide a low-frequency sound bed which emanates from the Hive,
a hum that is produced from recorded cello, tuned for physical impact,’ explains
Bedford. “The vertically spaced rings of MM-4XPs reproduce a dynamic mix of bee
sounds, all interwoven with original music components that together move around
the space, immersing the listener.’
All loudspeakers employ IntelligentDC technology, which combines the performance
advantages of self-powered loudspeakers with the installation efficiency of Class 2
wiring. A single, five-conductor cable carries remote power and balanced audio
signal to the loudspeakers from a rack-mount power supply and signal distribution
unit. In many countries, electrical conduit is not required.
The UK Pavilion has proven one of the most popular of Expo Milano. Buttress singles
out the soundscape as a major contributing factor in realizing the full potential of
his concept. “Sound is one of the main tools of the Pavilion’s storytelling, and I was
gratified by the results,’ he reports. “The Meyer Sound system specified by Hoare
Lea certainly exceeded my expectations of what was possible.’
Also working on the soundscape under Buttress’s guidance were audio programmer
Robin Whittaker and composers Tony Foster and Kevin Bates.
For the structure of the Pavilion, Buttress collaborated with Simmonds Studio
engineering and the architectural firm BDP. Manufacture and production was by
Stage One, with graphic design and animation concepts by Squint/Opera. Dr. Martin
Bencsik, a leading authority on bee behavior, served as scientific and creative
consultant.
