This latest Zinc occupies a prime location amidst the bustle of Fulham Broadway, one of the liveliest parts of London. Although a smaller space than the other restaurants, the same aesthetic and sonic requirements were applied to this venue. Sound equipment had to be invisible, to offer comfortable and almost imperceptible background levels and dispersion, yet also be capable of pumping up the volume in the venue when needed. Zinc's bar area is designed for multi-purpose use, and can be converted into DJ/dancing mode. It was also important that sound in the two adjacent areas - restaurant and bar/dancefloor - could be separated and controlled.
CP Sound's Colin Pattenden built his design around JBL elements - a spec which builds on his extensive use of JBL in other restaurant sound designs, including the previous three Zincs. The speakers at Zinc Fulham are concealed above the venue's wooden slatted ceiling. Pattenden opted for JBL Control Series speakers with subs for the dance area, and JBL Control 25s for the restaurant. To ensure that audio is consistent throughout the venue, the toilets are also kitted out with JBL Control Series ceiling speakers.
Amplification is RSE - a mix of PFX625 CCs and PFX500 CCs - another CP Sound standard. The amps are located in an elegant metal rack in Zinc's main office, along with the computer background music system. The system is controlled via a Cloud zoner - optimized to control the different audio areas within the main space, plus the toilets. The DJ area features a selection of industry-standard brands including Technics SL1210 turntables, a Denon twin CD player and a Citronic mixer - also supplied by CP Sound.
(Ruth Rossington)
