K-array has amplified the elegance of the luxury Italian hotel Portrait Milano by delivering a significant upgrade to its audio infrastructure.
Portrait Milano, one of Milan’s premier luxury hotels and a member of the Lugarno Collection, provides guests with quintessential Italian hospitality in the heart of the city. Located in a former Archiepiscopal Seminary dating back to 1565, Portrait Milano is the third hotel in the Portrait Collection.
Portrait Milano commissioned its compatriot Italian business, K-array, to process a large-scale integration on-site.
Alberto Gaetti, Project Support Specialist at K-array, said:
At Portrait Milano, they required a solution that would blend seamlessly with the stylish interiors but provide moderately high SPL. We worked closely with systems integrators, A3 System and Next Domus, to design and implement a system that would complement the guest experience at this luxury hotel.”
The project encompassed three unique zones within the hotel, including a subdivisible meeting space and integrated audio in the hotel spa. The largest area to consider was the 10_11 Bar, Giardino, Ristorante. This long space, divided into three sections for dining, drinks, and socialising, featured 14 units of K-array’s Vyper ultra-flat aluminium line array loudspeakers in a white finish, positioned individually on poles fixed to the walls to ensure consistent coverage.
More Specifics On The Installation Itself
Each Vyper unit, equipped with Pure Array Technology, intends to ensure uniform and coherent audio coverage throughout the venue. Nine Rumble subwoofers, either recessed in the walls or hidden under built-in seating, provide low-end reinforcement. The system is powered and controlled by eight-channel Kommander amplifiers.
Gaetti underlined that the primary challenge was designing the setup for moderately high SPL (sound pressure level) without marking the walls. “The subwoofers have been hidden under the seats, but the Vypers, designed for on-wall or in-wall installation, have been mounted on sleek poles off-the-wall because of the acoustic finish of the wall surface,” he explained.
The Porticato is the aforementioned long, narrow outdoor space with original stone columns. K-array maintains the Vyper and Rumble combination, with eight and four of each installed in loudspeaker/subwoofer pairs on the interior wall. Vyper units are interspersed.
14 Tornado point-source loudspeakers enhanced the open-air dining space and its separate garden area, ensuring maximum audio coverage with a wide dispersion. Four Rumble subwoofers were also installed and fixed to the ceiling beams. In the garden, an immersive soundscape was created by a system composed of four Kobra, metre-long stainless steel line array elements featuring Pure Array Technology, and an additional three Rumble subwoofers.
Portrait Milano also features a sub-divisible events room for its guests. This space can be used as a unique, spacious room or divided into three private areas using two sliding walls. In the smallest room, the RAIL by KSCAPE provides an innovative and modern all-in-one lighting and audio solution. For the other rooms, a combination of Vyper and Kobra loudspeakers with Rumble subwoofers offers versatile options for presentations and audio for video conferencing.
“Each of the three rooms has its own sound system with individual room inputs,” Gaetti said. “If the room is needed for larger meetings, users can easily configure the control system to ensure the loudspeakers work together as a single system.”
Portrait Milano’s Longevity Spa, home to ‘The Longevity Suite’, combines advanced biohacking and anti-ageing technology with a holistic wellness approach. The spa features a pool, wet area, gym, and treatment rooms, all requiring high-quality audio that complements the interior design.
K-array Lyzards, including KZ1 and KZ14 models, are installed across the spa, with Rumble subwoofers providing background audio. GC6 ceiling loudspeakers enhance the treatment rooms, while metre-long Vyper units and Rumble subwoofers ensure consistent audio in the pool area. The system is powered by K-array’s Kommander amplifiers, offering fine-tuning and optimal performance.
K-array Unveils Kramer Control Plug-In for Kommander Amplifiers
K-array has announced a new Kramer Control plug-in for its Kommander amplifier range.
Kramer Control is a cloud-based, enterprise-grade solution designed to simplify the control, monitoring, and management of AV systems, infrastructure, and third-party devices for IT and AV managers. By integrating Kramer Control’s full API, a new driver enhances the compatibility and functionality of K-array’s Kommander amplifier range, improving its integration capabilities.
K-array emphasised that this collaboration reflects its commitment to advancing software development. This latest announcement follows the company’s previous releases of plug-ins for other leading control platforms, including Crestron, Q-Sys, AMX, and Control4.
