BSS Audio

Monaco Philadelphia’s Stratus rooftop lounge installs an all-HARMAN sound and lighting system featuring JBL, Crown, BSS and Martin components PHILADELPHIAâ€"HARMAN Professional Solutions recently provided a significant sound and lighting upgrade to the Stratus rooftop lounge. The technology overhaul included JBL loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers, BSS controllers and Martin fixtures. In the heart of Philadelphia's Historic District near Independence Hall sits the equally historic Lafayette Building, home of the prestigious Monaco Philadelphia boutique hotel. And sitting atop the hotel, floating 11 stories above the country’s most historic square mile, is the newly renovated Stratus rooftop lounge. “Essentially, we had to upgrade and rework everything,â€� said Ian Hoffer, President of Aurora Sound and Light. “In order to optimize and provide separate control for the spaces, we designed and installed four sound system zonesâ€"interior lounge, exterior lounge, pavilion #1 and pavilion #2â€"all built with JBL loudspeakers and subwoofers, and Crown amplifiers. We networked and manage the zones with BSS Contrio controllers.â€� According to Hoffer, when the Monaco Philadelphia Hotel opened three years ago, the Stratus lounge and its outdoor pavilions were equipped with just basic sound and lighting system support, based on a simple 70-volt, in-ceiling system that needed replacing. The system covered announcements and background music, but offered no zone or room-to-room control, and no entertainment lighting. Management’s plan was to get the hotel launched, and then through a second phase, come back and focus on the sound and lighting system needs of the lounge, with the goal of turning the Stratus into an entertainment attraction. “The Stratus lounge has always been a cool space. It’s lush and comfortable and offers a really good mix of indoor and outdoor environments,â€� explained Hoffer. “But the hotel wanted to create something exciting. They specifically wanted to bring in professional, entertainment-level sound and lighting systems, and be able to use the lounge and its pavilions for a wide range of up-scale events. I’m happy to say that from corporate meetings to weddings, to an impressive nightclub and dance venue, the Stratus now has plenty of headroom and is ready to perform.â€� THE SOUND SYSTEM With available space at a premium and aesthetics a prime concern, Hoffer and his team installed a mix of JBL AC-28 and AC-16 loudspeakers within the interior spaces, supported by a set of JBL ASB6115 and JBL ASB-6112 subwoofers. The large exterior space utilized the JBL AM-7212 loudspeakers and JBL ASB-6115 WRX subwoofers. “For the pavilions, we wanted to go as large as possible but not be too obtrusive. Luckily, we had some architectural elements we could work with.