Twenty-five Italian-made Powersoft amplifiers are handling the audio demands of the award-nominated Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020, one of the highlights of the recently opened world fair in Dubai.
Over 28,000 people a day are expected to visit the Italy Pavilion, which centres on a spectacular 3D-printed, 1:1-scale reproduction of Michelangelo’s David created in Powersoft’s home city of Florence, over the next six months.
The pavilion, based on the theme ‘beauty connects people’, is one of the 192 stands competing for visitors at Expo 2020, which comes to a close on 31 March 2022. The Italy Pavilion is already proving to be one of the most popular attractions, with more than 200,000 visits in October alone, including the thousands who attended concerts by celebrated pianist Ludovico Einaudi and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta.
Key to that popularity is the powerful audio experience created by the pavilion’s all-Italian sound system, which complements a striking, sustainable visual design featuring two million recycled plastic bottles. Powering the system are 25 Powersoft amplifiers supplied by PRO LAB, the company’s exclusive distributor in the GCC countries and Lebanon, and installed by local systems integrator SIBCA.
Two of the five Quattrocanali 2404 DSP+D amplifiers are used in the main auditorium and restaurant areas, while another three are equipped in the first hull, the white space, and the skywalk (which offers visitors a panoramic view of the pavilion from an 11m skybridge). Two Quattrocanali 1204 DSP+D, the 2404’s 1,200W baby brother, are installed in the FS Tunnel, a partnership with FS Italiane (Italian State Railways).
Four Mezzo 322 AD are powering the Belvedere, an area featuring a 360° projection of some of Italy’s most famous landscapes, and another four the Teatro della Memoria, where the 17-foot David replica is installed. A further 322 AD is installed in the VIP lounge.
Also from the compact Mezzo family are the two Mezzo 324 AD installed in the cultural space and innovation space, and the two Mezzo 604 AD powering the VIP area and extra VIP space. Five Mezzo 602 AD, meanwhile, are driving the VIP meeting room, education lab, head office and cafeteria, as well as joining forces with the Quattrocanali 1204 DSP+D in the FS Tunnel.
As well as featuring only Italian amplifiers, the Italy Pavilion’s loudspeakers are Italian throughout, with the Powersoft amplifiers powering a range of RCF, K-array and FBT loudspeakers.
Speaking at Expo 2020 earlier this month, Powersoft president Carlo Lastrucci said it is an honour for Powersoft to have played such a prominent role in this celebration of Italian culture. “When we talk about ‘Made in Italy’, we almost always think of fashion, food, tourism and art,” he commented.
“But there is another less well-known industry, equally excellent, which must and deserves to be valued. All research and development, production, technical assistance, marketing, sales, logistics, and warehouse activities are in our centre in Florence and in production plants in Italy. This allows us to control the entire chain from start to finish, ensuring the optimisation of processes, quality, and responsiveness to market needs.”
More than five million people will have visited the Italy Pavilion, designed by CRA (Carlo Ratti Associati), Italo Rota, Matteo Gatto & Associati and F&M Ingegneria using recycled and sustainable materials, by the time Expo 2020 comes to a close on 31 March 2022.
In addition to the 25 amplifiers installed at the Italy Pavilion, Powersoft products are powering the Peruvian and Norwegian national pavilions, as well as the Dubai Cares stand and the PPP (Public-Planet-Partnerships) Hub, at Expo 2020. A Powersoft X8 DSP+DANTE amplifier, supplied by AVI-SPL, is also supplying power for the Firdaus Orchestra, the all-women ensemble led by Grammy Award-winning composer AR Rahman, which will close the expo’s Space Week with their inaugural performance.
“As an international company with a worldwide network, we are thrilled that Powersoft products have played such an integral role in this international exposition,” says Lastrucci. “After 18 months of lockdowns and social distancing, it’s great to finally be here in Dubai to see the world come together again, and Powersoft products taking centre stage – from Italy to Peru.”
