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Theatres on the Bay protected

The stunning and iconic Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, is a nearly 15-acre (60 000 square metre) performing arts centre located in Marina Bay, Singapore. One of the busiest concert halls in the world since its opening in 2002, the theatre has hosted more than 31 000 performances, drawing a total of 84 million visitors.

With its distinctive twin shells, this architectural masterpiece features world-class performance spaces in its two main venues – the Concert Hall and the Theatre – with capacities of 1800 and 2000 respectively. In March 2014, the Esplanade was listed as one of the “world’s 15 most beautiful concert halls” by Hamburg-based building-data company Emporis.

Today, the Esplanade is renowned for possessing some of the best concert hall acoustics in the world. With its innovative and refined acoustic characteristics, the performance venue suits a wide range of Asian and Western arts and music. The hall regularly features renowned theatre companies and performers, contributing to Singapore’s international and cultural vibrancy.

In 2014, after a decade of operation, management at the Theatres on the Bay, The Esplanade – a not-for-profit organisation and registered charity – decided to update its existing CCTV surveillance system. Working with Hikvision and solution provider ATT Systems Group (Singapore), a new surveillance system was designed to deliver effective internal and external surveillance, as well as perimeter protection for this prestigious arts centre.

The challenge

In partnership with Hikvision, and drawing on its experience in venue queue management and security systems integration, ATT Systems worked with the Esplanade management to provide an effective solution to the project’s CCTV challenges.

The theatre’s prominent façade directly faces the Singapore Merlion Park, Marina Floating Platform, and Singapore Financial Hub. In order to preserve the aesthetics of the iconic arts building, the new IP-over-fibre surveillance system carefully planned out locations for every camera.

Beyond providing effective video for general security, the new system also needed to provide 95% visual coverage of the entire site to assist with day-to-day management and visitor traffic flow, as well as the implementation of required health & safety practices.

The solution

Using a mix of over 300 Hikvision 4-Series Smart Cameras and NVRs, along with Hikvision’s video management software, ATT Systems specifically chose components that address the various needs of each internal and external area of the venue, depending on usage and desired scene content.

In the main hallway and inside the theatre, Hikvision’s 2 MP Full HD Indoor Dome Network Cameras were installed to provide 1080p imaging; these cameras feature smart focus motorised VF lenses, BLC, smart audio, and intruder-detection functionality. Providing 24/7 coverage in the car park, 2 MP full HD outdoor dome network cameras were installed. Featuring built-in infrared (IR) LEDs, they can provide up to 30 m of nighttime viewing in complete darkness.

Preserving the internal aesthetics of the building’s architecture, compact and unobtrusive IR mini dome network cameras were installed in the reception and ticket counter areas. To assist with any disputes in ticketing, the Hikvision Mini Domes, with their built-in microphones, were installed at the ticket counters and monitor all ticketing transactions while also observing any problems that might occur at the entry turnstiles. The surveillance footage from these dome cameras is a great asset in helping the theatre’s management team speed-up the flow of visitor traffic by reducing queues and waiting times.

Providing an ideal surveillance solution to monitor the theatre’s perimeter, surrounding driveways, and walkways, Hikvision’s IP66-rated, 2 MP network PTZ dome cameras were installed, using their 30x optical and 16x digital zoom and smart tracking functionality.

Powerful control

In the control room, supporting live viewing, storage, playback and control of the over 300 network cameras are Hikvision’s DS-9664NI-XT-Series NVRs using one of the possible RAID configurations. In order to support the large number of PTZ speed domes, general security and event management, the NVRs record both audio and video from each camera. The NVRs support hot-swappable HDDs and RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 storage.

To control the smart camera functions, including smart search and playback, smart detection, and record backup, as well as smart applications such as people counting, heat mapping and interactive mapping, all system equipment is managed by Hikvision’s open-platform iVMS-5200E Enterprise Video Management Software. Designed specifically for large-scale projects with multiple channel surveillance, this VMS offers video preview, video playback, and comprehensive alarm management. Fully integrated to the Hikvision array of NVRs, the iVMS-5200E also provides full control over the customisation of video tags, playback by tag and video searching; and for additional security of video footage, the locking and unlocking of any recorded files.

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