Founded sixty years ago, Marimekko is a leading
Finnish design house known for bold patterns and
colours. Through its timeless, individual, practical and
beautiful designs in interior decoration, clothing, bags
and accessories, Marimekko aims to provide aesthetic
experiences for people of all ages. In recent times,
Marimekko’s ambition to build upon its international
presence and distribution has translated into the
opening of new free-standing Marimekko stores. The
new company-owned stores strengthen the brand
experience further through colour and style, and 3D
sound (the first use of its kind in a retail environment)
which helps expand the environment to appeal to the
wide variety of customers visiting the store.
In using 3D Sound for their stores, Marimekko
employed MorrowSound® True 3D developed by
Charles Morrow Productions (CMP). True3D is a
sound processing software that creates clouds or
atmospheres of sound modeled on the way sound is
heard in the real world. This is achieved through an
8.1 Cube set up: which is an audio format and a setup
like mono, stereo or surround sound. The 8.1 Cube
www.genelec.com
MariMekko enjoys experiential sound with Genelec
case study
Marimekko, an iconic Finnish clothing and textile brand, is using 3D sound to create a
unique shopping experience in four stores. This audio experience is an important part of the
company’s brand identity at the outlets in Berlin, Malmö, and two in Helsinki, and aims to
create a truly immersive in-store experience for customers.
at Marimekko is comprised of eight Genelec speakers
positioned four up and four down, in eight corners of a
virtual cube for each core module. The True 3D software
uses the 8.1 set up to form a sound cocoon or cloud
that envelops the customers. The sound is not at ear
level, and does not beam down from the ceiling (as in
regular retail sound systems) so no one is aware of the
sound from individual loudspeakers. The sound content
constantly changes and moves mimicking how sound
behaves in nature.
Marimekko’s designs are closely linked to and inspired
by nature therefore the new Marimekko stores
imaginative soundscapes that blend music and natural
sounds together, i.e., calm rainfalls, soft bird song, or
simply the tranquility of a forest, which together create
a refreshing state of mind. Sounds have been pitched
at comfortable levels not to disturb the customer and
staff communication. The use of MorrowSound True
3D sound also allows Marimekko to tune and refine the
experience of its individual store environments to match
the different locations and tastes.
www.genelec.com
Underpinning the use of True 3D are the award
winning Genelec 4000 Series active loudspeakers.
Charles Morrow of CMP explains why the 4000 Series
were important to the project: “The crisp, clear sound,
even at modest sound levels made the 4000 Series
perfect for this project. It embodies Genelec’s ability
to create speakers that present a vivid and detailed
sound picture while incorporating an exceptional
depth of field. It is almost as if, being based in
Iisalmi, where real silence exists, it allows them to
hear authentic sounds without being bombarded by
the loud ambience of the urban environment.” The
installed models in the shops include 4010A, 4020B
and 4030A 2-way active loudspeakers as well as F
Series subwoofers.
Jeremiah Tesolin, Brand Development Manager at
Marimekko has also worked on the design of the
system. His previous experience includes working
as part of Nokia’s global brand team before joining
Marimekko in April 2010. Developing a new audio
identity for Marimekko has been a key task in his new
role. ‘Previously, the sound systems in Marimekko
stores were pretty basic, for example simple 2-3
speakers hooked up to an iPod. With the new flagship
stores opening in Helsinki, Berlin and Malmö we’ve
decided to take the audio experience to another level.
We’ve created a blend of architecture, sound and
lighting that supports the product and brand. As part
of this new system the Genelec speakers are superb.
They both sound and look great - the white finish blends
nicely with the interior. Furthermore, the integral amplifier
means we save on space and installation time.”
The 4000 Series active loudspeakers accept standard
line level analogue inputs and are equipped with two
driver units, both powered via internal matching power
amplifiers. The 4000 Series represents the culmination
of Genelec’s thirty years of experience in loudspeaker
design and development. Suitable for a wide variety of
www.genelec.com
Genelec Oy
Olvitie 5
74100 Iisalmi,
Finland
Tel. +358 17 8388
KIT LISTThe Genelec speaker models used in this project were:•4010•4020•4030•FOne
tasks including installations, near-field
monitoring, surround sound systems
and home studios, the range produces
high SPL output, low colouration and
broad bandwidth in a small enclosure
size. The Minimum Diffraction Enclosure
(MDE™) and advanced Directivity Control
Waveguide (DCW™) combine to provide excellent
frequency balance in even the most difficult acoustic
environments. The protection circuitry included with
the amplifier designs guarantees a long lifetime for
the products and a peace of mind for the installer
protecting all drivers from failures.