Hurrairah bin Sohail discovers how Vega took space and function into account when delivering forward thinking AV systems for the Rosewood Hong Kong hotel.
Vega Global, a global AV and IT system integrator with its headquarters in Hong Kong, understands that AV does not exist
in a vacuum. AV products must
work in-sync with spaces. This
approach is evident at the
Rosewood Hong Kong hotel.
The overall planning,
designing and construction of
Rosewood Hong Kong spanned
across seven years and it is one
of the largest hospitality projects
to be undertaken in Hong Kong
in the last decade.
Vega was brought on to the
project in 2016 and coordinated
closely with the consultant, ihD,
to ensure that the project was
brought to fruition in 2019.
Bruce Ng, director of
information technology at
Rosewood Hong Kong, says: “The
most important factor for us was to
make sure that all the technology
selected and deployed brought
about the desired user experience.
Technology depends on the space,
from the room type to the location
and even the geography.”
Bruce Ng continues: “Rosewood
Hong Kong is located in a tourist
hotspot [Tsim Sha Tsui] and it is a
luxury hotel. This aspect has to be
represented in all the spaces and
the AV systems that are deployed.”
The meeting room at level 3
serves as a template to showcase
the AV technology deployed.
Audio is provided by QSC ADC
4T speakers paired with Core 250i
DSPs and CX 302V amplifiers.
Shure ULXD4 wireless systems
along with microphones are used
for audio input.
Visuals are provided by
Panasonic projectors in tandem
with Grandview projection
screens. Enabling modern
working methodologies, Vega
has provided both wired and
wireless connectivity.
Barco ClickShare allows users of
the meeting rooms to connect
wirelessly. Setting up the wireless
connectivity was a challenge and
Raymond Ng, project manager
from Vega, details: “The meeting
rooms have doors with metal
used in their construction and
this impacted the strength of the
wireless networks. Thankfully, we
were able to create a dedicated
wireless network for the Barco
ClickShare to overcome this.”
Extron DTP CrossPoint 108
4K switchers, along with the
relevant transmitters, receivers
and connectivity plates, provide
wired connectivity. Raymond Ng
explains the selection: “We have
our own network to each room
to control the devices. Users
can connect to it via a mobile
application or with wires from
laptops. All sources of input
are open.”
Crestron AV3 processors paired
with Apple iPads and iPad minis
make up the control system.
Rosewood Hong Kong also
features a ballroom and a junior
ballroom which function as event
spaces. The grand ballroom in
particular has established itself
as one of the most premium and
luxury wedding venues in Hong
Kong. The AV products and
systems reflect this standing.
The ballroom features extensive
ETC and Martin lighting systems.
Audio is provided by Nexo Geo
M620 line array speakers paired
with Nexo NXAMP4x1C amplifiers
equipped with Dante cards. In
addition, QSC AD-C1200 ceiling
mounted speakers and RenkusHeinz PNX81 speakers, along with
QSC amplifiers, are used for
further sound reinforcement.
QSC Core DSPs serve as the
heart of the audio system.
A Shure ULXD4 wireless digital
system along with a selection of
lavalier and vocal microphones
and wireless bodypack receivers
and transmitters are provided for
audio input. A Yamaha LS9 digital
mixing console manages the
overall audio system. Audio is
distributed via Dante.
Vega ran into some challenges
when deploying the audio system
in the ballroom. Raymond Ng
details: “The ballroom has high
headroom but the space in the
catwalk was quite squeezed due
to the presence of electrical and
mechanical features. The challenge
was to hide the speakers in the
limited ceiling space that was
offered to us. But this challenge
was not unique to the Rosewood
hotel, many projects in Hong Kong
face similar issues and we have the
experience to overcome it.”
Crestron C3COM-3 cards
together with Apple iPads and
iPad minis provide control.
A Lighthouse 4mm LED
videowall has been chosen as the
display for the main ballroom.
Bruce Ng says regarding the
selection: “LED walls provide
higher contrast and sharper
images which projection is unable
to match at the moment and we
selected LED to avail these
features in our design. The LED
also fit in with our overall design.”
An Extron XTP II CrossPoint
3200 switcher serves as the core of
the video system in the ballroom
while transmitters and receivers
are used to transport signals.
The AV systems have been
integrated with the IT network.
This allows video feeds from the
ballroom, captured by Panasonic
cameras, to be routed to many of
the other spaces available at the
hotel.
Moving on to the junior
ballroom, the AV systems are
similar to those found in the
main ballroom. An interesting
deviation is the addition of
Panasonic projectors along with
an LED videowall.
Raymond Ng narrates: “The
ceiling tiles had a hexagonal
shape and it was difficult to fit
a rectangular projector, so the
selection of the projector was a key
consideration. We had to change
the projector model from our
initial selection to accommodate
this aspect of the interior design.”
The scale of the project posed
a challenge and Raymond Ng
details how Vega overcame it:
“We needed to coordinate with
the various parties that were
working at site simultaneously.
The construction site covered a
large area with multiple floors
of works to be coordinated on
regular basis. The coordination
was critical and because of it
Vega was able to harmonise the
integration of the AV system
perfectly with the decorations
and aesthetics of the hotel.”
Regarding the outcome of the
overall project, Bruce Ng says:
“Our aim was to provide a perfect
audio and video experience for
our users in the ballroom and
the event spaces. This is why
we reached out to experts like
reputed interior designer Tony
Chi and reputed lighting designer
David Singer. We wanted the
guests to have an unforgettable
experience no matter where they
were in the hotel and we have
achieved this.”
Raymond Ng says: “We worked
on this project together with the
IT team at Rosewood Hong Kong
and the other experts working on
the project to really deliver AV
systems that met the aims and
objectives of the client. We moved
away from analogue to digital and
now to IT. There is also a lot of
wireless connectivity that has
been offered. I believe Vega has
delivered a strong tech backbone
for the hotel which is 4K ready
and will also keep in step with
future developments.”
Raymond Ng concludes:
“This was a significant project
for Vega in terms of the scale
and the value. The successful
completion of Rosewood Hong
Kong and the delivery of the AV
systems according to the client’s
requirements demonstrates
Vega’s expertise in handling
large scale AV projects in the
hospitality sector.”