The Jane

The principal challenge at The Jane was to overcome the antiquity and unusual shape of the building, a former chapel for a military hospital in Antwerp. High ceilings, stained glass windows and tiled floors all feature in this Michelin-starred eaterie. The design needed to take account of all these reflective surfaces as well as have the capacity to present either a chilled or more clubby atmosphere depending on the time of day or occasion. This was true throughout the venue, so included not only the main dining area and mezzanine bar, but also the venue’s kitchen, lobby, terrace, bathrooms and wine cellar.

The challenge to achieve The Jane’s vision of a ‘total experience’ for its customers was addressed by a design which deployed loudspeakers from across the Pioneer PRO AUDIO XY-Series range, as well as a complement of the brand’s latest commercial audio CM-Series ceiling speakers for ancillary areas. Precise speaker placement of full-range XY-81 units avoided any hotspots in the main areas, whilst the positioning of a single XY-215S subwoofer actually took advantage of the building’s unique acoustics to distribute bass throughout the venue even at low volume.

The system is driven by Powersoft K2 and K3 amplifiers with built-in DSP and Pioneer presets. Armonía Pro Audio software gives full remote access to the amplifiers at all times.

Nick Bril, The Jane’s visionary chef is pleased with the achievement:

“We’re able to shape the atmosphere and colour, to create different day and nighttime experiences, making it more clubby or relaxing as we wish. It’s nice to see that even in a big space such as this, you can create an intense musical experience without pushing the volume limits. That’s down to the quality and placement of the loudspeakers, and it balances perfectly. The Jane is now a chapel filled with vibes – it’s unique!”

Not only is the Jane itself a highly challenging acoustic space, the brief demanded that the system could move between a chilled restaurant vibe and a distinctly clubby vibe within the same context – which, it must be remembered, is a Michelin-starred restaurant placing great emphasis on perfection. Nick Bril also required a sonic signature that was consistent at all times throughout the different areas of the building to sustain the atmosphere he wished to create for his patrons.

The installation at The Jane was completed in three phases, each of which confirmed for Bril, that his decision to invest in a turnkey Pioneer PRO AUDIO system was a good one. If passing a challenging brief in a prestigious venue with flying colours is a measure of being worthy of winning an award, then perhaps Nick Bril’s conclusion adds weight to the claim:

“Pioneer PRO AUDIO is in my heart. From the personal service and connection to the pure sound experience, I can’t imagine using any other audio brand for an installation in my restaurant. You can actually feel the quality of the sound – it’s clear, it’s warm, and it wraps around you wherever you are in the building.