Formally opened in April 2009, the new AED 1bn (c.£200m) Terminal 3 facility marks a significant milestone in the impressive growth of Abu Dhabi's main airport, expanding the capacity to 12m passengers per annum - an increase of 5m. The 88,000sq.m terminal has been built to serve as a hub for the UAE's national airline, Etihad Airways.
The client (ADAC) appointed acoustic consultancy PMK International which has a regional base in Dubai, to design and specify an audio system that would meet the demands of the expansive airport retail area, and after considering many options Tannoy's Qflex was selected for the project.
A total of five Qflex 32 arrays was all that was required to provide more than adequate, even coverage of the main Duty Free space, with each discrete unit having little impact on the modern, chic style of the shopping hall. Each Qflex 32 is a self-contained 'digitally steerable' device with 32 discrete channels of onboard amplification and advanced DSP, enabling it to achieve even coverage and SPL across a specified listening plane.
Using the intuitive Qflex BeamEngine, systems designers are able to quickly model a given environment and create customised 'steering files' for each Qflex array, ensuring that audio is distributed in a controlled and co-ordinated manner between Qflex units, minimising acoustic reflections and targeting the audio exactly on the areas required. By positioning the 5 x Qflex 32 devices around the Duty Free hall as required, quality sound clarity and intelligibility was delivered evenly throughout the space.
On the choice of Qflex for the job, PMK International's principle consultant on the project, Jerrold Stevens, comments: "The interior design of the area presented severely limited my choices for locating loudspeakers and a less than ideal acoustic environment. I selected Tannoy's Qflex for their ability to steer down to extreme angles, minimal visual impact, minimal spurious vertical lobes and sound quality."
Having been launched at last year's PALME Middle East show, this is the first high profile Qflex installation in the region.
(Jim Evans)
