Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam underwent an impressive 8-year refurbishment project culminating in a grand reopening in September 2012. Benthem Crouwel Architects chose the Fastlane plus R400MA barrier arm optical turnstiles for the Museum.

According to the museum facilities manager, it was the eye-catching product design and the advanced intelligence of the Fastlane infrared detection system made the range stand out from the competition. "The Fastlane plus R400MA model was the ideal choice as the optical detection technology combined with the fast-moving barrier arms offered the level of security and fast throughput we required. The narrow pedestals and minimalist style suit the modern, urban building design perfectly." stated Ben Mulders, Museum Facilities Manager.

The system was installed by local Fastlane distributor, Ruigrok Nederland. All four lanes were installed at a width suitable for wheelchair access, while still maintaining the slim pedestal width of just 168mm. During the opening month the four lanes comfortably coped with 95,000 visitors. The Museum expects 1 million visitors during the first year.

The turnstiles were customised to integrate seamlessly with Metrologic barcode scanners for visitors’ tickets. Visitors are able to purchase and print e-tickets from the Museum’s website and then use these for entry through the Fastlane turnstiles thus avoiding queues at the Museum.

The Fastlane plus system uses state-of-the-art optical technology to monitor the passage of every individual entering and leaving a building, with quiet but fast-acting barrier arms to physically deter unauthorised access. The advanced detection system minimises nuisance false alarms from objects such as bags and umbrellas, while effectively detecting an unauthorised person following as close as 5mm behind an authorised person (‘tailgating’). The barrier arms have a typical closing time of ½ second. This, combined with its safety beams, allows the system to safely close on tailgaters as close as 15cm apart. The multiple safety beams in the 400MA are designed to stop the arms closing if they detect someone is in the way of them.

"The Stedelijk Museum Fastlane project is an example of the importance of product reliability when combined with the need for high throughput rates. The modern stylish looks of the Fastlane system provides the perfect entrance to a stunning building, demonstrating that security and aesthetics really can work together.” commented Tom Sharrard, Integrated Design Limited.

The Fastlane range is not just designed for unsurpassed detection, stylish looks and reliability; it also has an unusually low environmental impact with each pedestal consuming only 50 Watts of power during throughput and 12 Watts in standby.