Located adjacent to the Centennial Hall in Wroclaw, Poland, Afrykarium is a unique attraction that shows the different ecosystems associated with some of Africa’s aquatic environments. Nineteen aquariums and pools, with a capacity of nearly 15 million litres of water, are incorporated into the large complex which combines a three storey 9000 square metre building with 7500 square metres of external grounds. Each zone is designed to represent an African region and combine the environment and wildlife of that area. Regions included are the beaches and coral reefs of the Red Sea, the river Nile, the land of the Great Rift Valley, the Mozambique Channel, the beaches of the Namibia’s Skeleton Coast and the jungle of the Congo Basin. 

Afrykarium is now home to a vast array of native African wildlife, living within their natural flora and fauna. In addition to serving as an attraction with great educational value, Afrykarium has recreated ecosystems threatened by human activities and supports many endangered species.

The sound systems throughout the Afrykarium complex were provided by Tommex ?ebrowscy Sp. J. Marcin Zimny, Commercial Director of Tommex explained, “Afrykarium presented us with a wide range of requirements, including background music for the hospitality areas, AV for the conference facilities and an audible alarm system throughout. Most important, and key to the visitor’s experience, is the multi-zone sound effects system provided for the African regions. As this covered very large areas and would be subject to the climatic conditions of Africa, we chose Community loudspeakers for their proven all-weather capability and their audio performance which would recreate the effects naturally.”

The effects system consists of seven zones, controlled by a Dynacord P64 audio matrix, feeding DSA-8805 and 8405 power amplifiers fitted with IRIS-Net RCM-810control modules. Community W SERIES W2-228W loudspeakers are used to cover the large wide areas, combined with thirty compact, two-way, 5-inch D SERIES DS5 loudspeakers used to ensure an evenly distributed system throughout. 

“The effects are stunning.” says Zimny. “Clear and accurate, the audio combines with the recreated environments to give a remarkable perception of the African regions. Afrykarium is a very unique experience and I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to provide a superb quality system for visitors to enjoy.”