Panorama Landscape Hotel elevates Finnish hospitality with audio from Genelec

Kuopio’s Panorama Landscape Hotel sits at the top of Mountain Tahko ski resort overlooking a landscape that could’ve been hand-painted by Monet. Some guests sit in the clouds absorbing the natural beauty of the forest, while others choose to relax in their suites or in the traditional Finnish design of the spa. Built by local entrepreneurs Harri Jokela and Katja Kuulusa, Panorama Landscape Hotel is a celebration of Nordic architecture, from the detailed wood interior to the RAW Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers located across the site.

Original planning started in 2018, with construction of the hotel made possible through investment by former rally champion Tommi Mäkinen and former Formula 1 titleholder Kimi Räikkönen – both legends of Finnish motorsports. Taking inspiration from Japanese onsen spas, the idea was to build a hotel that combined the great outdoors with local design and tradition. Panorama Landscape Hotel comprises 10 individual suites, a natural forest spa and the Havu Kitchen and Bar which is headed up by award-winning chef, Kim Mustonen.

Genelec has really helped create a harmonious experience across the entire complex.

An important element of the project was sound – both acoustically and aesthetically. Local integrators Viking Pro had previously worked on another restaurant for the Panorama team, and the new hotel was to follow in its footsteps. “They wanted a Finnish audio brand to fit with their philosophy of heritage and innovation,” begins Juha Jäppinen, co-owner of Viking Pro. “The loudspeakers were to be used in the suites, as well as in the restaurant, indoor spa areas, meeting room, lobby and toilets. We selected Genelec because the brand offers solutions that are modern and attractive. The RAW finish of the Smart IP models fits perfectly with the hotel’s design.”

With views across the forest and Lake Syväri, the accommodation was designed by the award-winning Finnish architect, Professor Sami Rintala. He wanted to provide visitors with a unique snippet of natural beauty, but also somewhere that has a “deeper effect on the mind, thinking and overall well-being”, which is reflected in the outdoor Forest Spa. Wood-fired saunas bring crackling warmth as the snow falls outside, and the five pools deliver complete relaxation. The restaurant also offers a one-of-a-kind culinary experience through a combination of oriental modernity and flavours from the Finnish forest.

“In the restaurant, we installed six 4430 Smart IP loudspeakers in the RAW aluminium finish with two 7050 studio subwoofers to deliver smooth low frequency performance,” says Jäppinen. “This reflects the Finnish fusion food and the wider design of the space. They’re mainly responsible for background music, but, if needed they can connect to wireless microphones for meetings and announcements. Close to the restaurant is a meeting room that can be booked for corporate events, and here we installed two more 4430 models in black.

The RAW finish of the Smart IP models fits perfectly with the hotel’s design.

“In the lobby of the spa, we chose two more black 4430s – while the toilets and changing rooms are equipped with two ultra-compact RAW 4410 loudspeakers. Each of the 10 suites has its own Genelec system, too. Two 4020 installation loudspeakers in the RAW finish are connected to a TV, with additional Bluetooth receiver connectivity if guests want to play music from their own devices. Three black 4430s also deliver background music to the reception and lobby area.”

Viking Pro opted for a weather-proof loudspeaker solution for the outdoor pool and spa, with these and the Genelec models all connected to an LD Systems Dante audio interface, which acts as a network hub for the entire system. “Smart IP loudspeakers are great to work with because everything is sent over a single CAT cable; audio, power and management, making it very easy to install,” notes Jäppinen. “We also used Smart IP Manager software to help with configuration and room equalisation.”

Smart IP Manager is vital for integrators wanting to get the most out of their Genelec system. It offers easy installation in any acoustic environment, allowing analysis and corrective equalisation of problematic room acoustics. In addition to the Smart IP Manager software, Viking Pro also used Smart IP’s public API to design a custom tablet to help with simple system control. Staff can access the different zones by using the tablet, and instantly change volume levels or content if needed.

“Panorama Hotel was an interesting project from an audio point of view because the design of the space guided the design of the system,” concludes Jäppinen. “Genelec is a local brand that’s built on heritage, which was important. It’s a huge bonus that the loudspeakers sound so good. This project has been in the pipeline for a long time and the feedback so far has been excellent. Genelec has really helped create a harmonious experience across the entire complex.”