La Sagrada Familia - Case Study

Visiting Barcelona this summer? Then find out how KENWOOD’s NEXEDGE® digital system is being used at the La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Covering an area of 4,500 square metres and with a capacity of 9,000, La Sagrada Familia (The Basilica of the Sacred Family) in Barcelona is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which plays host to around 3.5 million visitors each year, making it one of the most visited attractions in Spain

The expiatory church of La Sagrada Família is truly a work on a grand scale, which began on 19 March 1882 as a project by the diocesan architect Francisco de Paula del Villar (1828-1901). At the end of 1883, Antoni Gaudí was commissioned to continue the works, a task he remained engaged in until his death in 1926. Since then, different architects have continued with the work, remaining true to his original idea.

 

The building is situated in the centre of Barcelona, and over the years it has become one of the most universally recognised symbols of the city and indeed the country. It is visited by millions of people each year, and many more have immersed themselves in its architectural and religious content.

La Sagrada Família has always been an expiatory church, meaning that, since the outset, over 130 years ago. It has been funded by donations. Gaudí himself said: “The expiatory church of La Sagrada Família is made by the people and is mirrored in them. It is a work that is in the hands of God and the will of the people.” Construction is still ongoing, and it is estimated that the building could be finished sometime in the first third of the 21st century.

Original two-way radio communications system

The original two-way radio communications system employed at the Basilica comprised KENWOOD ProTalk, license-free PMR446 analogue radios, which, while economical and fast to deploy, were outgrown as visitor numbers rose and a requirement for extended site coverage, increased security, and public safety, as well as the ability to accommodate larger numbers of user groups, emerged.

Expocom SA were briefed to design a new system that could meet the current and future site communications needs at La Sagrada Familia, and working with JVCKENWOOD Ibérica, created a system based on KENWOOD’s award-winning NEXEDGE digital technology.

NEXEDGE digital system is designed to provide full coverage

The new NEXEDGE digital system is designed to provide full coverage of the site, from the highest point of the remaining towers' construction to the depths of the crypt and everything in between, including offices, the museum, and public spaces.

It is configured as a 4-channel trunked repeater network with a fixed base radio serving thirteen user groups linked via KENWOOD’s KAS-10 system management software to a command centre run by the Basilica’s security team.

Transmission location

Following extensive testing, it was found that two antennas, one for reception and the other for transmission located within the building would give full coverage to all areas and over a period of time the system was installed and rolled-out by the Expocom team across the user groups including management, security, facilities management, information center, guides and hosts and the large construction team.

The 4-channel trunked repeater system serves over 140 NEXEDGE hand-portable radios, 20 are NX-320E models with full keypad and display to send and receive text messages, alerts and alarms, while the remaining 120 NX-320E2 radios feature displays and simplified keypads.

Future-proof technology

In-depth manuals for current radio models.

With construction scheduled to continue for at least another 15 years, Expocom ensured the new system was designed both with redundancy to cope with peaks in traffic during major events or an incident and to be fully scalable to facilitate the expansion of channels, users and groups into the future.

Safety and security with increased coverage

While not the largest of NEXEDGE® systems, La Sagrada Familia is certainly one of the most important and prestigious and it was a privilege to have worked with the team at the Basilica and Expocom S.A. to deliver enhanced safety and security with increased coverage for the benefit of the millions of visitors each year.