About the venue
Tucked away in an unassuming quarter of Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, is a sophisticated four level restaurant and bar like no other in Brisbane. Agnes Restaurant offers modern Australian wood-fired feasts dished up in a slick, moody venue which compliments the drama and spectacle of cooking over fire.
The project began with the acquisition of a historic 1890s brick warehouse which was internally gutted to make way for this much anticipated venue.
The façade remains intact and defines the look and feel of the restaurant. On entering you find yourself in the main dining area which displays an open kitchen showcasing its woodfire and smoking stations. The lower level holds a cocktail bar and wine cellar while upstairs is a private dining mezzanine. Next to this is the rooftop bar where desserts and drinks may be served.
About the solution
Soho Sound Design was engaged to deliver a complete turnkey digital package including audio visual, lighting integration, central control and IT infrastructure, all of which would enhance the guest experience.
The audio design uses Meyer Sound exclusively, from the elevator lobbies and wine cellars through to the amenities and rooftop bar. The design brief required loudspeakers to be matched to the venue’s prominent colour – Dulux Colourbond Monument Gray. An appropriate RAL colour was selected and the equipment including mounting hardware were manufactured to this specification.
The venue has four primary audio zones with a further seven secondary or slave zones. Each primary zone has one or more MM10 miniature subwoofers along with MM4s laterally distributed through the space. MM4s and Ashby5Cs can also be found in the elevator lobbies, wine cellar and bathrooms. The result is a consistent and thorough audio experience regardless of where you are in the venue. Each primary zone has one or more inputs to accommodate the house music iPads as well as DJs and live performers. Processing is handled by a BSS Soundweb BLU-100 DSP with two BOB1 breakout boxes making a total of 12 inputs and 24 outputs.
An equally important component of the fit out was the integrated lighting system. Creating the desired atmosphere which compliments the building’s heritage is critical to the guest’s experience. Overall the lighting is minimal and at night it creates a magical vibe where the venue feels large yet also cosy and private.
To achieve this ambience, a selection of high end LED luminaires were supplied by the lighting designer and Soho Sound was responsible for their integration and commissioning. Dimming LED lights is not as straight forward as dimming traditional globes as LEDs are a digital light source and are subject to fluctuations in power as well as instability on traditional dimmers and under loaded circuits. These issues result in poor or reduced dimming performance as well as flickering and strobing as dimming occurs. As a solution, DALI was used allowing for smooth and stable dimming of LEDs down to 1% with some kitchen service LEDs reducing their colour temp to 1700K at low brightness. Dynalite dimming is used for some non-LED light fixtures and relay channels handle external lighting and signage.
The audio and lighting are centrally managed by an RTI control systems. On the most part the system operates automatically with up to five presets recalled daily. This reduces the time required by staff to keep the venue running consistently. Where custom control is required, staff have access to a multitude of iPads and iPhones to make on the fly changes during service. The iPhone screens are available offsite allowing for remote monitoring by managers.
