Apollo Technology Protects Slovenian Parliament
A new fire detection system based on Apollo technology has been
chosen to protect the Slovenian Houses of Parliament; the home of
the National Assembly and National Council. The contract for the
fire detection system was awarded to Zarja Elektronika d.o.o., who
have represented Apollo in Slovenia for over 20 years.
The parliamentary building, which was built in 1959, is located
in the heart of the Slovenian capital city, Ljubljana. The building
itself was designed by the architect Vinko Glanz and includes a
decorative main entrance that features symbolic, sculptural
compositions depicting peaceful scenes from everyday life, focusing
on industry and family. The premises include a seven-storey main
building and three additional buildings, housing a total of
approximately 500 staff. At the centre of the main building is the
422m2, 150-seat Great Hall, where the upper house
convenes.
Bojan Kern, Development Engineer at Zarja Elektronika, says:
"The client asked for full protection of their premises, which
includes a number of buildings and covers a large area. In
addition, the fire system had to preserve the architectural
heritage of the building, as most rooms include decoration on the
ceiling."
Zarja recommended an Apollo-based fire detection system to meet
EN54-14 standards. The main building is protected by
almost 500 XP95 detectors, which are controlled by an 11-loop Zarja
Elektronika NJP 2000A panel, and interfaces with 238 Apollo
wireless XPander detectors. The three smaller surrounding buildings
each have their own Zarja control panel NJP 401A and are
protected by Apollo XP95 devices. All four control panels are
connected to a common Graphic Control Centre.
Apollo's XPander wireless range has been designed for use in
areas where hard-wired fire detection is impossible or impractical,
and is ideal for use in historic buildings, remote annexes and
temporary structures. The Slovenian Houses of Parliament required
wireless detection in order to preserve the building's prized
decorations in the main building. The XPander range should be used
in conjunction with a standard fire detection system; no special
adjustment or programming is required as the devices are recognised
by the control panel simply as another detector connected to the
system.
The historic fabric in some rooms was so precious that even
wireless detection could not be mounted directly to the ceiling.
Zarja designed a bespoke base unit, which requires only one screw
to minimise the impact on the architectural heritage.
Bojan concludes: "Apollo fire detectors were perfect for this
application - the products were simple to install and now provide
the reassurance and reliability required to safeguard our
politicians from the risk of fire. The wireless XPander range has a
long enough battery life to be able to meet the client's demands
and provide quality fire detection without damaging the building's
ornate design features."
With the addition of the Slovenian Houses of Parliament, Apollo
technology is now protecting governments across Europe and the
world, in locations as far afield as Dubai, Brazil and Norway.