Built in 1875, the Kaiserspeicher building serves as the historic backdrop and architectural foundation for the fascinating Philharmonic hall, which towers well over 70 metres above it into the Hamburg sky.
Even as they drive in here, visitors can already rely on the discreet work being carried out by the building-wide video security system, which guarantees orderly traffic flow and theft-proof parking spaces. About a dozen weather-proof Dallmeier infrared cameras are located strategically to keep watch over all the entrances and levels of the car park. The DF4920HD-DN/IR type cameras deliver high-resolution video material even in darkness. The ultramodern recording devices are covered in a surface finish designed especially to reflect the remarkable character of the building as a whole.
Besides the “car park” utility area, five more areas - each with different requirements – were defined in the planning phase for the net-based video system, so that they could still be combined into a single, overall system: Concert hall, Hotel, Residential, Restaurant and Plaza.
The video analysis take place on dedicated servers and even includes a people counter: Virtual boundaries are defined in the image, and these serve as a counter threshold that detects visitors individually as they enter or leave a detection zone. In addition to the total number of visitors, movement trends and peak times can also be discerned. Using this data management can make well-founded decisions about the layout of retail space such as that of the Elbphilharmonie Shop, for example. At the same time, they may also reveal consideration points for the continuous improvement of emergency and evacuation plans prescribed by the fire and police services. Notwithstanding their benefits for other applications, the combination of recording and analysis aims primarily at ensuring the safety of the building and protecting visitors to the Philharmonic hall, hotel guests and tourists.
In total, security management for the Elbphilharmonie is supported by more than 300 camera systems spread throughout the building and its outdoor surroundings, including the Panomera patented multifocal sensor system by Dallmeier. The Panomera was developed specifically to be able to capture enormous expanses as well as large distances, and it has been deployed at a number of locations on the premises of the Philharmonic hall. Among several benefits, the MFS technology also safeguards the building on the riverside. And with their new, specially coloured surface finish, the Panomera models can be integrated unobtrusively in the architecture of the new city symbol.
The seamless interaction of all system components is directed via the high-performance, user-friendly Semsy III video management system. The operators can see everything at a glance at the six specially configured workstations, and can respond rapidly to any dangerous situations by automatic actuation of the necessary cameras, for example. DEKOM managing director Wolfgang Haack is also in no doubt that the pioneering Dallmeier video system will render an important contribution to the untroubled enjoyment of the Arts and Culture by all visitors for a long time to come. He adds, “It was a really enjoyable project and a huge success for the Dallmeier corporate group. We look forward to working together with the Elbphilharmonie in future, and of course to the occasional musical delight – I do not intend to miss an opportunity to experience the marvellous acoustics.”