Audio solutions that delight employees and guests
Nordic coziness meets Mexican cuisine at the Bergen restaurant, Ostra. “We wanted a well-balanced sound system that creates a pleasant atmosphere and blends into the design. That's what we've got”, says restaurant owner Alonso Coronel Crespo.
With an open kitchen and a well-stocked bar, Ostra has been serving Mexican-inspired food and tasty drinks since the summer of 2022. The bright premises with high ceilings provide the perfect setting for good conversations and parties, especially when their resident DJs are in full swing on weekends.
The founders behind the concept are Alonso Coronel Crespo, a Mexico-native with international experience in the restaurant industry, and Alexander Arnø, a well-known figure in Bergen's nightlife circles.
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Space at the drawing board
The collaboration between Ostra and Kinly began in 2021 when the restaurant a simple shell. From the outset, longevity, comprehensiveness and user experience were high on the priority list.
"This gave us the opportunity to provide good advice in close collaboration with BOSE Professional. They have extensive experience with large, advanced projects in the restaurant industry and stood out as a natural. As well as that, it's always a pleasure to work with them!" says Lilletvedt.
The Ostra founders gave both thumbs up to the design developed in collaboration by the two partners.
Ronny Nielsen, Nordic Sales Manager for BOSE Professional, has nearly 30-years of experience in the sound industry.
"The fact that we were involved so early was particularly exciting and indicated that the customers wanted to prioritise high-quality sound. Since we were included right from the drawing board, we had greater influence on where the sound systems should be located and could plan comprehensive solutions," says Nielsen.
Dividing the space
The restaurant is part of the Viken Vibes concept and located in a cove just outside Bergen city centre. The large windows transport the beautiful view directly into the restaurant however the location means it takes a little more effort to move around as the evening progresses. Creating solutions that can divide the space into different sound zones and for different uses has been a critical factor in the success of this project.
"We wanted to contribute to creating an environment where people want to spend the whole evening, from dinner to drinks. Both so that guests can have a conversation without echoes from the rest of the room and so that it doesn't become tiring for the staff to work there, even as the volume rises and the music gets louder. When DJs come to perform, they must be able to connect without extra equipment and have the opportunity to pump up the bass that you can feel in your body," says Nielsen.
Quality audio at low volume
"One of the major challenges of the project was to create expensive sound, meaning systems sound just as good at low volume as they do at high volume," says Lilletvedt.
As food is prepared in a visible and open kitchen, it was also important that guests won’t be bothered or distracted by noises that come from a cooking environment. They should be able to see their food, without hearing it. As a result, the direction of the sound became particularly important.
"We have received good feedback from both guests and staff, who have found the sound environment comfortable to work in," says Crespo.
The choice was made to deploy speakers above the bar that play sound towards the guests along with white pendant speakers in the restaurant space. Instead of hiding these solutions, the restaurant owners were open to making the speakers visible, as long as they integrate well with the rest of the design.
"It's high-ceilinged, so if the pendant speakers had been attached at the very top, it would have required higher volume. By lowering them, we can keep the volume level to a reduced level when needed," says Lilletvedt.
