Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s 1895 construction was originally home to the offices of the Glasgow Herald. Re-opened by the Queen in 1999 following a GB pound 13m conversion, The Lighthouse became Scotland’s first dedicated centre for architecture and design.
King said the installation was made especially challenging for them and software partner ADI GARDINER because of the building’s history and the fact it now operates as a charitable trust.
After discussions with The Lighthouse’s IT Manager, Martyn King of King Communications and Katherine Bramwell of ADI-GARDINER agreed that an IP network solution offered the most benefits.
Martyn King said: “The 16 existing analogue cameras located around the grand six-storey building were incorporated into a new IP network using Axis video servers and Milestone Professional software. This saved The Lighthouse time, money and the inconvenience of installing replacement cameras around the building.
“The system now operates as a service on the network as well as on the wireless infrastructure throughout the building, allowing users to view on laptops wherever they are in the building. We have even managed to integrate the disabled toilet alarms into the system with alerts to key users.”
King Communications say the installation took less than a week to complete. They claim that, because the system is both scalable and future-proof, it can be expanded at any time according to budget or demand.
“It’s made a massive change to our infrastructure, in the immediacy of checking on all parts of the building, and the extended data storage,” said IT Manager Angus Stewart. “We hold exhibitions valued into thousands of pounds and are now able to install additional cameras at key points at any time. In image quality alone, the system has more than proved its worth.”
The Lighthouse building comprises 1,400 square metres of exhibition space, and since opening has welcomed over a million visitors.