EQUANS wants to help cities protect and improve their cultural heritage by integrating modern technologies, such as those in the Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent.
Cities, municipalities and cultural institutions want to protect and improve their cultural heritage. Thanks to its technical expertise, EQUANS can offer innovative solutions that improve the comfort, experience and safety of visitors.
Total integration partner from A to Z
In Ghent, the teams of EQUANS contribute to the modernisation of the Sint Bavo Cathedral on behalf of the contractor, Artes Depret. EQUANS handles the total integration of new electrical systems in the cathedral, from fire and theft security to camera surveillance, access control, anti-theft system, digital signposting, audio system, lighting, centralised control system, data, telephony, and general electrical systems.
The doors of the visitor centre will open in the spring of 2021. It will then be possible to admire the restored panels of the Lamb of God using virtual reality goggles. EQUANS is responsible for the electrical system of the new visitor centre that provides a pathway through different parts of the cathedral. A 3D experience about the history of the church and the Lamb of God is installed in the crypt. EQUANS provided the IT backbone for this 3D experience.
EQUANS also installed the fire and theft security for the Lamb of God. Previously, there was no fire protection in the cathedral except for the Lamb of God showcase. EQUANS also installed a new fire detection system in the attic of the cathedral. Following the fire in the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Saint Bavo took steps to modify its most important safety security systems.
Modern technologies in a unique historical environment
The implementation of the technologies is one of the most important cornerstones during the construction work. It is a huge challenge to integrate the technology in a protected and historically valuable infrastructure in a manner that is as inconspicuous as possible. The main objective of the modern solutions provided by EQUANS is to create an appealing environment for visitors.
A circulation tower was built to optimise the accessibility to the cathedral and provide everyone with access to the four levels in the cathedral (lower church, crypt, chancel with ambulatory, and five apse chapels). This way, the four levels of the cathedral are interconnected.