The restaurant, once described as ‘the most amusing room in Europe’, is surrounded by an eye-catching mural, ‘The Expedition in the Pursuit of Rare Meats.’ The priceless and historic mural, painted by Royal Academy student and iconic artist Rex Whistler at the age of just 22 in 1927, covers the entire restaurant.

Due to the delicate surroundings, HHB Communication’s chief technology officer John Johnson was only too aware that this would not be a regular run-of-the-mill installation. ‘This is probably one of the most unique and delicate installations we have carried out in HHB’s history,’ he said. Extra consideration for the conservation of the mural was paramount, as was the discreet and non-invasive installation and positioning of the Genelec speakers.

The installation occurred over the course of three days with the Tate’s conservation manager and catering general manager on hand to assist HHB’s CTO John Johnson and senior support engineer Mike Rigby at all times. Once completed, Johnson and Rigby thoroughly tested the monitors, trained staff and offered full support.

When it came to speaker selection for the installation, Johnson explained: ’The Genelec 4020C installation speaker and associated mounting hardware accessories were specifically designed with challenging commercial installations in mind. Combine that with an unbeatable reputation for outstanding sonic delivery and it made them the perfect choice for this space. We’re delighted with the outcome, as are Tate Britain.”

Matthew Randall, catering general manager for Tate Britain, commented: “Working with the team at HHB was a pleasure. Throughout the process, the team’s professionalism and sensitivity in an historically important space was impeccable.”