Mahajak reinforces 137 Pillars
Published: ASIA

THAILAND: The inaugural 137 Pillars hotel and resort opened to guests in the final week of 2011 in Chiang Mai on the site of Baan Borneo – the former headquarters of the East Borneo Trading Company, built 125 years ago. The luxury boutique concept has proven successful, with a second site opening recently in Bangkok. Hello Pine, a turnkey IT solutions provider that specialises in hotels and resorts, was enlisted to provide its services, and in turn, brought in Mahajak to supply the PA and BGM setup for the hotel’s public areas.
‘We were contacted by Pongsak Kongrattana, director of Hello Pine,’ recalled Supachai Sakulchoo, project sales engineer at Mahajak. ‘This is the second time we’ve worked with them. The name of this hotel was inspired by an ancient house comprising 137 pillars in Chiang Mai, formerly called Baan Jamjuree 2.’
The project spec called for a good quality sound system that was easy to control and maintain. As the Thai distributor for Harman Professional brands, Mahajak installed a variety of JBL, BSS and Crown solutions. The first floor lobby and entrance have been installed with JBL 8128 and Control 47C/T ceiling speakers respectively. Processing is via BSS Blu-Bob break-out boxes, while power and control is from JBL CSMA 180 commercial mixer/amplifiers. A Crown DCi 2|300 amplifier also serves the entrance.
The bars and restaurants on the 26th and 28th floors are equipped with JBL Control 47C/T speakers and BSS Blu-Bobs, as well as JBL CSMA 2120 mixer/amplifiers. JBL 8124 ceiling speakers and a Crown DCi 4|300 amplifier are also installed on the 28th floor, while the swimming pool on the same level benefits from Control 25AV-LS compact loudspeakers with the optional MTC-25WMG WeatherMax stainless steel grilles.
Up on the rooftop, JBL Control 25AV speakers serve at the bar and swimming pool. These are accompanied by a CSMA 180, Crown DCi 2|300 and Blu-Bob. JBL 8124 ceiling speakers have also been installed in the elevator as well as the rooftop restrooms.
‘JBL speakers were used as they are ideal for a wide variety of indoor and outdoor applications,’ explained Mr Sakulchoo. ‘Importantly, optical fibre was used for long distance communication. The sound came from a computer placed in the control room on the first floor and distributed to different areas through fibre optic cables. A rack was installed on each floor to store the amplifiers and other equipment.’
The 137 Pillars expansion is set to continue, with a Phucket location set to open in 2019 along Kata Beach, and Mahajak hopes to once again supply the audio solutions having impressed the client on this occasion. ‘The customer tested the system after we finished the project,’ said Mr Sakulchoo. ‘The customer was satisfied with the system we provided and our installation services.’
installation, bss, jbl, mahajak, crown, hello pine