Windhoek, Namibia, July 2021 – The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) is at the apex of the system of government in the Republic of Namibia. A historical building in the Namibian capital of Windhoek, OPM houses the first Cabinet Chamber and the Constitution Room, in which most of the country’s legislatures were drafted. The government recently elected to augment the Cabinet Chamber with a sophisticated sound reinforcement and visual display system to improve the meeting experience. Gadgets Namibia Solutions – a leading ICT products and services provider – were asked to source an appropriate solution, which they did through Stage Audio Works Namibia.
“This was an interesting project as the multilevel and oval shaped seating arrangement made it impossible to implement a traditional projector and screen solution,” explains Joppie Maritz of SAW Namibia. “Furthermore, we were working in a listed building with a very clear brief to preserve the historic interior finishes, so we had to find clever ways to install our equipment to ensure that it blended in with the minimum amount of disruption to the surroundings.”
SAW, in consultation with Gadgets Namibia, designed and installed a comprehensive, customised solution based on Pixel Plus LED screens, a Novastar LED controller, Sennheiser TeamConnect 2 ceiling microphones, Audac loudspeakers and a Taiden digital conference microphone system. Video routing and switching is via Atlona with Q-SYS control for ON/OFF and source selection.
“We opted for LED screens rather than a projector/screen solution as the configuration of the room simply didn’t give us any other option,” recalls Maritz. “We mounted two Pixel Plus Xcell-i screens on opposite walls of the uppermost level. We chose a pixel pitch of 1.83mm for uncompromised visual quality and used custom mounts for the cleanest possible installation. We also had to get creative when it came to designing the comfort monitor cluster in the central area which serves the lower level. We supplied four Samsung 65-inch UHD TV screens in custom Stage Plus screen trolleys, designed and built by our in-house manufacturing division for easy rearranging when required.”
For the audio part, SAW installed a Taiden digital conference microphone system for each of the delegates on the lower level. Speech intelligibility for the upper gallery is enhanced with a pair of Sennheiser TT2 ceiling microphones and sound reinforcement overall is handled by eight discreetly mounted Audac WX502 loudspeakers which are virtually invisible from the lower delegate level. QSC Q-SYS control via an elegantly simple touchscreen handles source selection and powering all active equipment ON/OFF. Multiple motion sensors in the room allow the system to switch itself off when not in use after a predefined period.
Victor Nzaramba of Gadgets Namibia is pleased with the results. “Stage Audio Works have delivered an impeccable solution. They designed customised solutions where required that respect the elegance and heritage of the room whilst bringing OPM’s Cabinet Chamber into line with modern technical conferencing standards. The Prime Minister and her cabinet can now enjoy the comfort of crystal clear audio and high quality video throughout the room with easy, fingertip control.”
