TOA: Voice Alarm System Built to the Highest Safety Standards

Open, urban, and elegant, the new Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier forms the vibrant heart of Hamburg’s HafenCity district. Spanning a total area of 419,000 square metres, this contemporary urban development seamlessly combines retail, business facilities, residential spaces, culture, and entertainment, creating a dynamic meeting place for both residents and visitors. In such an environment, ensuring user safety plays a pivotal role.

For the so-called “Core” zone, covering approximately 100,000 square metres and encompassing retail areas, a food court, and leisure facilities, a voice alarm system was implemented in line with the highest safety requirements. The planning and installation were carried out by Hamburg-based partner ELA PRO, with the TOA VX-3000 selected as the solution, deployed in a fully redundant configuration in accordance with Safety Level 3 under the VDE 0833-4 standard.

This safety level is intended for facilities where maximum operational reliability is essential, comparable to the standards applied in nuclear power plants. In line with these requirements, the system was installed across four locations as spatially separated A and B systems, while interconnection is ensured via redundant fibre-optic rings, guaranteeing uninterrupted operation even in the event of a network failure.

The project represents the largest and most technically demanding TOA voice alarm system implemented in the EMEA region to date. It comprises a total of 18 system racks housed in separate technical rooms for the A and B configurations, alongside approximately 6,000 loudspeakers and 300 amplifiers dedicated to evacuation announcements and background music. Paging stations are installed at information points, within office areas, and in the security control centre, while automated safety messages are preconfigured for evacuation scenarios. In addition, fire brigade paging stations are fully integrated into both systems.

The scale of the complex, exceptionally high safety requirements, and demanding architectural features – including extensive glass roof structures – posed significant challenges during the planning and acoustic design phases. The large number of amplifiers and technical interfaces also required intensive coordination among all parties involved. Thanks to the close collaboration between ELA PRO and TOA, one of the most complex voice alarm systems in the EMEA region has been successfully delivered, combining reliability, flexibility, and a high level of safety.