Historic preservation goes digital

Standing ovation in the concert hall of the Dresden Kulturpalast: On April 28, 2018, not only the Dresden Philharmonic was celebrated with thunderous applause. After six years of reconstruction, the fully modernized Kulturpalast in the historic center of Dresden opened its doors. To ensure that the large number of visitors can enjoy their visit in perfect safety, an unobtrusive and smart security solution that preserves the charm of the historical monument was implemented. The newly built concert hall is the centerpiece of the Kulturpalast. With its striking architecture and outstanding acoustics, the hall offers an excellent backdrop for orchestral concerts of the Dresden Philharmonic and serves as a grand stage for musicians of all genres. In addition to the Philharmonic and a cabaret, the renovated Kulturpalast also houses the new municipal central library.

More than 300,000 media are well tended after in the modern library space, while large foyers with culinary offerings and reading lounges invite visitors to stroll and linger awhile. Following its complete renovation, now more open than ever. Serving as a space for the arts and knowledge, the building promotes cultural and social exchange, all day long and well into the night. Up to 1,700 spectators can be seated in the great hall, and the entire building can accommodate 2,800 people. But it is not only the streams of visitors that put the new security system to the test. Due to its special architecture, the listed building is subject to stringent requirements. Preservation regulation demand, for example, that the walls, ceilings, and floors of the Kulturpalast be changed as little as possible. At the same time, the security technology had to be integrated into the historic building in a highly unobtrusive manner.

To meet these demands, the Kulturpalast relies on a tailor-made solution concept from Bosch that interconnects the individual components for fire protection, evacuation, access control, video surveillance, and building management. “We were aiming for an affordable, comprehensive solution that would do justice to the Kulturpalast and its unique features. The Bosch offer convinced us that they’re the right partner,” says Steffen Meyer, building manager of the Kulturpalast.

Text Fire protection is a key safety concern in the building. “Since this is a public gathering place, we must observe strict fire safety requirements,” explains Meyer. In order to preserve the aesthetics and acoustics of the architecture, complex 3D model calculations had to be carried out during the planning phase. Thanks to the comprehensive fire protection solution from Bosch, Fireray 3000 smoke detectors, for example, were integrated into the concert hall hidden from sight, thus preserving the special atmosphere of the hall. In the event of an emergency, loudspeakers in the halls automatically descend from the ceiling, their volume capable of drowning out any concert. “In addition, there were further requirements from our side,” continues Meyer.

For instance, Bosch not only installed intelligent security solutions for fire and burglary protection, but also a video system for counting visitors. Using state-of-the-art camera technology, the system insures that the Kulturpalast does not get overcrowded. At the same time, in the event of an evacuation, the security staff can always keep track of the number of people in the building. Smart networking combined the various individual solutions into a holistic security concept. The separate components converge in a central management system, allowing for convenient and efficient operation by Bosch-trained security personnel.

Bosch Energy and Building Solutions supplied the new Kulturpalast with a security solution that intelligently interlinks the management system, smoke extraction system, fire and intrusion alarm systems, and video system. This made it possible to meet all visual and acoustic requirements posed by the building. “Whoever comes here for cultural experiences or social exchange should not be disturbed by technology”, concludes Meyer. With the Kulturpalast, the city of Dresden now has a new trend-setting cultural center. The Bosch solution significantly contributes to this.