The UK Security Expo 2018 in London next month will feature consultancy BuroHappold Engineering and lead architect Farrells with former Home Office engineer, Roger Cumming in a new ‘Protecting Urban Spaces’ area. The Expo runs at Olympia on March 6 and 7.
That will focus on large scale threats and the protection of people and buildings in the โpublic realmโ. The area will be split into two scenarios; a landscaped plaza to the left and a park setting to the right. Each will provide an open space for live demonstrations and allow visitors to step into the demonstrator to experience physical security equipment in real life context.
Andrew Sieradzki, Director, BuroHappold says: โBuro Happold are really excited to support the UK Security Expo in this unique opportunity to design and be involved in this free form public realm demonstrator. We will be using our extensive experience of designing safe and secure spaces within the public realm to now immerse exhibition visitors in how we work to ensure an engineered solution is integrated into a well formed architectural public space.โ
Nigel Bidwell, a partner at Farrells, says: โIn the last two decades there has been a particular focus on the improvement of the public realm in our cities, making them more liveable, walkable and inclusive. The safety of public spaces is critical to their functionality and Farrells are delighted to explore the opportunities for integration of security measures and creating great places for people to enjoy.โ
Each scenario within the urban spaces will have a backdrop with screens showing authentic filmed content, and products set out to allow companies to show physical and technological products – perimeter fencing, street furniture, cycle racks, bollards, street lighting, planters, CCTV, mass screening cameras and video analytics.
A command and control room will display the area’s CCTV and surveillance feeds on a video wall. The exhibition hall walkways will also be used as โfootpathsโ to blend the feature into the surrounding footfall areas of the Expo. Demonstrations will include the protection:
– provided to pedestrians from a mixture of threats such as vehicles
– to people from someone or a โpartyโ of people with hand carried weapons
– of buildings from a blast or โrammingโ event; and
– to the public from events that lead to crowding.
Nicola Greenaway-Fuller, Managing Director of Nineteen Events who run the UK Security Expo said: โThis feature will bring physical security to life and give visitors a real understanding of the technologies that are available all of the time and in particular in response to an incident.โ
A formal Request for Participation (RFP) will be issued; to register your interest in getting involved early enter your details at https://www.uksecurityexpo.com/urban-spaces-demonstrator.
Pictured; last spring’s Expo.
