Liège-Guillemins railway station

To improve speech intelligibility in a uniquely challenging acoustic environment, Infrabel tasked TVV Sound Project with upgrading the public address system at Liège-Guillemins railway station.

Known for its striking futurist architectural design by Santiago Calatrava, the station’s vast canopy of steel and glass, along with its concrete and bluestone construction, created significant issues with sound reflection and intelligibility. The goal was to deliver clear, intelligible announcements across all five platforms while preserving the architectural integrity of the space.

Following a detailed acoustic study, TVV Sound Project designed a tailored solution using loudspeakers from Arbane Groupe brands Active Audio and APG. Twenty horizontally paired StepArray SA180S loudspeakers from Active Audio – chosen for their ability to provide high speech intelligibility and acoustic comfort through patented controlled directivity technology – were installed along the platforms. On top of the five glass lift shafts, a total of 40 APG Uniline Compact UC206N loudspeakers were installed in discreet stainless steel housings, designed to integrate seamlessly with the station’s aesthetic. A further ten Active Audio Ray-On B70TCs were added above on the catwalks, mounted directly to the station’s announcement screens.

The entire system runs on Dante audio over IP, replacing the former analogue infrastructure with a flexible, scalable and cost-effective networked solution.

Amplification is handled by 15 Powersoft Quattrocanali 2404 DSP+D amplifiers, which enable fine-grained control, remote monitoring and efficient power management via ArmoníaPlus software.

This modern, digitally networked system has transformed how public audio is delivered at Liège, ensuring announcements are heard clearly across the platforms while adapting dynamically to time-of-day usage and surrounding noise levels.

The station’s architectural features posed a major acoustic challenge: high ceilings, reflective materials and the open structure meant reverberation and echo were significant concerns.

To address this, TVV Sound Project conducted a comprehensive acoustic analysis, factoring in variables such as peak and off-peak crowd noise, stationary and moving trains, and surrounding ambient levels. This enabled the TVV team to model several configurations and select the optimal solution both acoustically and architecturally.

A further constraint was the strict requirement not to alter the existing speaker lay-out or visual appearance of the station. Loudspeakers had to be positioned within the existing footprint, and in some cases custom enclosures were fabricated from stainless steel to house the APG systems invisibly atop the lift shafts. These bespoke mounts not only maintained the visual lines of the lifts but also provided the ideal acoustic height and coverage pattern.

Routing cables and installing amplification posed another logistical hurdle, as retrofitting infrastructure into a completed, operational railway station offers limited flexibility. Centralised amplifier locations were carefully selected to ensure efficient cable runs without compromising the station’s layout or daily operations.

This installation demonstrates how cutting-edge audio technology can be integrated successfully a highly complex and architecturally sensitive public transport hub. Through the use of Active Audio’s patented beam-steering technology and APG’s powerful yet discreet loudspeakers, TVV Sound Project and Arbane Groupe have dramatically improved intelligibility and audio coverage in one of Belgium’s busiest and most architecturally ambitious stations.
Beyond solving a difficult technical challenge, the project demonstrates how modern AV systems – particularly networked audio via Dante – can offer both superior performance and long-term operational efficiency. By combining careful planning, custom engineering and a deep understanding of both the acoustic environment and architectural constraints, TVV and APG/Active Audio delivered a solution that enhances the passenger experience without altering the station’s iconic design.

This is a model project for how AV can elevate infrastructure in the built environment: technically sophisticated, visually discreet and entirely fit for purpose.