The northern area of Paddington in West London is mainly a residential district renowned for its large, late-Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats. However, it is also home to one of Britain’s most famous music and radio studio complexes.
This studio complex contains seven studios, five of which are in regular use, and resides on Delaware Road. It has been used to record thousands of classical and pop music tracks and drama sessions for radio.
The building was originally a roller skating rink and club before the skating rink was reduced to a shell and rebuilt in the 1930s. It was from this point that the building slowly developed into the studio complex that it is today and is now celebrating over 75 years of operation.
The studios have been under regular threat of closure from the complex’s management due to its constant need of maintenance and its limited access and hours of operation as a consequence of being within a residential area. However, no suitable substitute has been found to cater for the buildings various activities, and therefore the studio complex is still in constant use.
This music and radio studio complex receives high volumes of visitors and VIP guests everyday and therefore a reliable fire system is paramount. Not only is the safety of the staff and visitors high priority but it is critical that strict broadcasting schedules are adhered to, and therefore the building’s equipment and operation must remain unaffected in the event of a fire.
The Requirements
As specialist suppliers of fire alarm and safety equipment, Eurofyre’s expertise in video smoke detection was called upon to provide a suitable fire detection solution for this world famous studio complex. In doing so there were a number of challenges to overcome:
- Large Open Areas
A corrugated steel curved roof contributes to the buildings large open spaces and large live rooms and concert theatres are in regular use throughout the building. - Obstructions
A large number of obstructions are present from architectural attributes such as beams, joists and venting systems to studio equipment such as instruments, amplifiers and recording equipment. - Roof Voids
Studios and control rooms that have been treated for acoustics have been left with large open-area voids between the low ceilings and high roof.
The Solution
After careful consideration Eurofyre proceeded to supply video smoke detection equipment to help contribute to a reliable, early warning fire detection system.
Video smoke detection can provide early warning of fire by monitoring an area within a camera’s field of view. Video smoke detection (VSD) technology identifies and analyses smoke at the start of a fire allowing appropriate action to be taken at the earliest opportunity.
VSD uses video technology to visually monitor a specific area for smoke, providing visual identification, and reducing the risk of false alarm. It understands the behaviour and movement of smoke and is ideal for use in voluminous areas where obstacles may be present.
Components Used
VideoFyre – Video Smoke Detection
Eurofyre supplied 16 of their VideoFyre video smoke detection units for use in various areas of the building including ceiling voids and large live rooms.
VideoFyre is an innovative video smoke detection solution that can be combined with existing analogue surveillance cameras to provide fast and reliable smoke detection. Each camera has its own dedicated encoder allowing each camera to be monitored individually without the need of a central, large processing unit.
VideoFyre can accurately pinpoint the location of a fire providing an early warning solution. Images from VideoFyre can be monitored via CCTV monitoring stations providing visual confirmation of fire before evacuation procedures are initiated.
For more information on video smoke detection or to discuss any of our other products please feel free to get in touch either by phone on +44 (0) 1329 835 024, by email to [email protected] or via the online enquiry form situated on our Contact page.
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