Jun 13 2014
Johnson Controls, a global multi-industrial company, is creating safer, more efficient stadiums for fans and players who will compete at the upcoming world soccer (football) championship in Brazil, the largest single-event sporting competition in the world watched by more than 700 million people.
Johnson Controls installed and integrated building systems inside three stadiums, including Arena de São Paulo, also known as “Corinthians” Arena, where the opening match between Brazil and Croatia will be played on June 12. The company also improved safety and efficiency at two other stadiums where top-seeded teams Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Belgium and Switzerland will compete. Those stadiums are Estadio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte and Arena Amazonia in Manaus.
"The stadiums' technologies are designed to communicate with each other to create a great venue for the event," said Claude Allain, vice president and general manager, Middle East, Johnson Controls Building Efficiency. "The results will ensure comfortable and safer environments for players and fans."
Johnson Controls designed, installed and integrated dozens of systems, including surveillance cameras, fire alarms, access control, telecommunications, sound and building management controls. The security and fire systems activate surveillance cameras, crowd notifications, airflow shutdown and gate access if an emergency situation occurs. These systems also work together to improve fans’ experience. The sound and telecommunications systems at Estadio Mineirão are connected to a new 100-square meter LED screen to help fans see and hear the action on the field.
“Johnson Controls has delivered the best stadium environment possible using its global integrated technology expertise,” said Otavio Goes, technology manager of Estadio Mineirão. “We now have a world-class stadium that fans and players will enjoy during the event and for many years to come.”
Johnson Controls joined individual systems into a single networking solution. This single solution helps stadium owners save critical resources by eliminating the need to manage multiple, duplicate or discrete systems under various vendors, contracts and proprietary protocols in the constantly-evolving technology marketplace.
Johnson Controls has helped design and construct sporting venues around the world including the world soccer championship’s Cape Town Stadium and Moses Mabhida Stadium in South Africa; the Beijing “Bird’s Nest” national stadium; the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in Spain; and in the United States, the Meadowlands Sports Complex in New Jersey and the Bank of America stadium in North Carolina.
More than 600,000 tourists and 3 million Brazilians are expected to attend the matches in Brazil. The games will be broadcast to more than 200 countries on nearly 250 television channels.