Networked Honeywell security technology for the "Rhein Main Congress Center" in Wiesbaden
In April 2018, the Rhein Main Congress Center opened in the heart of the Hessian state capital Wiesbaden, one of the most innovative event centers in Germany. Such a multifunctional event venue with constantly changing room concepts and visitor groups requires a sophisticated and flexible security package. The high-performance Honeywell portfolio with security and fire protection solutions and a central alarm management system lay the foundation for this.
The Rhein Main Congress Center with its 45 halls, rooms and meeting rooms offers everything that makes an organizer's heart beat faster - innovation, multifunctionality, state-of-the-art media and event technology and a flexible room concept with mobile partitions for events with up to 12,500 people. The sophisticated architecture of the 194 million euro project creates the ideal setting for congresses, trade fairs or conferences, cultural and social events or concerts on a total of three levels.
Such multi-functionality, with often several events taking place in parallel, places high demands, especially on the integrated security package. In order to guarantee this, the municipal Triwicon, as the client, decided after a public and Europe-wide invitation to tender for a hitherto unusual cooperation: while the heavy-current part of the electrical package was carried out by the Bulgarian installation company Arge Siltek - Electricity, the company Hieronymus Sicherheits-Systemhaus, located in Mainz, was responsible for the light-current technology as a cooperation partner of Arge Siltek - Electricity.
"Admittedly, we were sceptical at first. None of us has ever been able to gain experience in such a constellation. However, due to the obligatory European invitation to tender, it was clear that we had no choice but to work as a team from the outset, and so we managed to complete this major project within the planned time and cost framework.
The fact that the cooperation with the Arge and Hieronymus in this constellation ultimately worked so well, surprised us positively," says Henning Wossidlo, Operations Manager at Triwicon. After the ground-breaking ceremony on 16 January 2015, the entire construction project took just over three years.
Fire protection and more - networked solutions
Hieronymus Sicherheit-Systemhaus made no compromises when it came to security technology, as Oliver Schulmerich, one of the two managing directors, explains: "Equipping event and trade fair halls that require different room and area concepts is, especially on this scale, something different than integrating security technology in office buildings with the same floor concepts. For us, therefore, functionality and trust in partner solutions are decisive".
In the areas of intrusion detection, fire protection, voice alarms, access control as well as overall system monitoring, Hieronymus Security System House therefore decided on solutions from Honeywell, as these have already been used successfully in several projects and provide the required functionality. Escape route control and electronic cylinders were nevertheless purchased from Honeywell, despite their status as commercial goods, because of the all-encompassing advantages from conceptual consulting to the very good integration possibilities. Even third-party products such as intercom systems and video surveillance systems, which had been brought in for special requirements, could be deeply integrated into the Honeywell solution.
Central alarm management software
The central element of the security system is the Winmag Plus alarm management software from Honeywell. This is where intrusion detection system, fire alarm system (IQ8Control M fire alarm control panels and Flexes Control from “Esser by Honeywell”), escape route control, public address & voice alarm (“Esser by Honeywell”), access control and the intercom system come together. With Winmag plus, the building technicians and security managers can have individual rooms displayed as a 2D model at any time and thus monitor each individual area and each individual sensor. Version 5 of the alarm management software used in Wiesbaden also offers an extended range of interfaces for better configuration and integration options.
"A high degree of flexibility was already required from the fire protection expert simply because of the thoroughly complex new alarm concepts", says Schulmerich. "Here, the team was accommodated by the versatility of the Honeywell solution, so that individual complex controls of the various alarm areas could be quickly mapped and displayed in the Winmag system," confirms Alexander Spatz, Senior Sales Manager at Honeywell Security, who has been accompanying the project from the very beginning. The Rhein Main Congress Center is now able to activate an alarm concept suitable for each event as well as other modes in between, for example during set-up and dismantling times and during breaks in operation.
Modular and scalable intrusion alarm system
Honeywell intrusion detection systems comply with the guidelines of VdS security class C and offer flexibility, for example through macro controls. This is the basis for customer-oriented solutions in all size requirements with qualitatively proven and always innovative technology and led to the decision to also rely on such a solution in this area. In the Rhein Main Congress Center, the company relies on MB-Secure, a modular and, above all, scalable platform that can be used multifunctionally for a wide range of security solutions - making it particularly suitable for use in an event venue such as the one in Wiesbaden. With a single control centre, both intrusion detection and access control and, if required, video surveillance can be integrated. License keys can be used to activate and bill all access points in their exact number. In addition, the Congress Center can have later adjustments made directly via an online portal for the installer.
Complex access control made easy
In the area of access control, it was clear from the outset that it had to be an electronic solution. "Due to the variety of events and the resulting rapid changes in room and usage requirements, there are constantly changing access requirements. Be it visitor groups, police and fire brigade, suppliers or the company's own staff with different roles and authorisations - the appropriate access control system must be in place for everyone at all times," says Maximilian Grossmann, also Managing Director of Hieronymus Sicherheits-Systemhaus.
The result for the almost 1,000 access points is an access solution consisting of Honeywell's IQ Multi Access access management software, which also manages the Winmag Plus connection, and an integrated virtually networked solution from Salto Systems. This is based on the Salto Virtual Network (SVN) with patented read-write functionality and encrypted data transmission. All locking authorisations are stored on cards as identification media. The data read out is transmitted to the central server via online wall readers and at the same time the current locking authorizations are transferred from IQ Multi Access to the ID media.
When customer requirements and event concepts become more and more complex and unusual, security technology should keep pace. With the integrated solutions from Honeywell, Rhein Main Congress Center employees are always up to date with what is happening and can react even to spontaneous and unusual situations.