Loeb AG, Berne

In 1881, four brothers from the Loeb family founded a Swiss retail company of the same name. Since then, it has been managed by one family member at a time - now in the fifth generation. The head office is located in Bern with branches in Biel and Thun.

Initial situation/requirements:

Kilchenmann is already very familiar with Loeb's EVAK systems, as they have already been implemented in Biel and Thun. Kilchenmann has now also been commissioned to plan and implement the EVAK system in Bern.

Technical implementation:

Within three days, the old EVAK system was to be decommissioned and the new one implemented - without disrupting day-to-day operations.

The loudspeaker installation already existed, so it only needed to be connected to the new EVAK system. In such cases, documentation on existing systems is helpful in order to carry out the integration as effectively and efficiently as possible. This documentation and information was initially inaccurate, but was clarified and corrected by the technicians on site.

The new EVAK system consists of a main control center with a rack, which is located in the technical room on the third floor, as well as sub-centers on the first basement floor and on the fourth and sixth floors.

Intercom stations and a touch panel for controlling individual zones as well as for announcements are available for operation in customer service. Saved announcements can easily be played out, for example for information regarding store closures.

On the various floors, it is possible to connect flexible wireless microphones and, if required, a DJ mixer for events. The sound is transmitted via the loudspeaker system in the ceilings. Here too, control is via a touch panel. This makes it possible to define the sound system and specify which music is to be played in which zone. There are also inputs for mobile audio devices in the customer service area so that external devices can be connected. Emergency evacuation intercoms have been installed at the fire department entrances.

In the new rooftop restaurant "Nido", the sound system was also realized by Kilchenmann and connected to the evacuation sound system. A touch panel is used to individually control the background sound inside and outside the restaurant. There is also a local music feed via Bluetooth or cable.