
PRESERVING AND PROTECTING ITALIAN HISTORY
Take a walk through the streets and across the piazzas of Italy and you are sure to find stunning architecture that dates back centuries. Even on a trip to the supermarket, you can find yourself immersed in Italian history, and for leading life safety systems manufacturer, Hochiki Italia, protecting this heritage was a priority on a recent project in Venice.
Teatro Italia in the Cannaregio district was first built in 1914 and designed in a neo-gothic architectural style with a nod to Art Nouveau. Since construction, the building has been home to a theatre, a cinema and a conference hall, before going into disuse in the late 1990s. In 2016, a project began to restore the space and its artistic features and transform it into a supermarket.
Security solutions installer, SEI Sistemi di Sicurezza srl, approached Hochiki Italia with a brief to provide a comprehensive life safety system for the site. As well as compliance with the latest European standards in life safety, it was essential that the system was energy efficient, helping to minimise the site’s environmental impact. Due to the historic nature of the building, the aesthetics of the devices was also a key consideration.
Hochiki Italia specified a range of innovative sensors from its Enhanced Systems Protocol (ESP) range. As well as demonstrating the highest standards of life safety technology, this protocol also gives installers greater choice when selecting a control panel. For SEI Sistemi di Sicurezza, this meant being able to install a system that is both high performing and energy efficient.
The ALN-EN photoelectric smoke sensor was selected for Teatro Italia as it offers superior fire detection technology, and a high level of false alarm immunity thanks to its High Performance chamber technology. The installation of Hochiki’s ATJ-EN heat sensor complements these benefits. With its variable temperature heat element and a rate of rise heat element, both of which are controlled from the Control Panel, users can choose to make either one or both elements simultaneously to be active in making the fire decision. Hochiki Italia also supplied wireless sensors and beam detectors for the Teatro Italia installation.
Speaking about the project, Eddo Quaggia, Chairman at SEI Sistemi di Sicurezza, commented:
“Italian architecture is some of the most beautiful yet complex in the world, and in some instances, this can make specifying a life safety system challenging.
“With Hochiki Italia’s extensive range of solutions, we were able to find products that offer exceptional standards of life safety and can be installed without disrupting the beautiful architecture of Teatro Italia.”
Ivano Tregnago, Sales Director at Hochiki Italia, added:
“While aesthetics is a key factor, all life safety equipment must not compromise system performance or safety. It is for this reason that our sensors have been designed to fit seamlessly into any environment.”
“We’ve been working with SEI Sistemi di Sicurezza for a number of years and I’m thrilled that we were able to support them with another fantastic project.”