A Boston landmark ever since its opening more than 100 years ago, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum stands as a testament to its namesake’s vision. Gardner’s vast art collection and the building she modeled after a 15th century Venetian palazzo to house it, are a work of art in totality.
With the space’s visuals taking an obvious priority, a challenge can arise when it comes to sound reinforcement—wires and clunky loudspeakers can ruin the carefully-crafted aesthetic the museum presents proudly to the world. The L1 system from Bose Professional Systems solved the problem, providing superb sound quality with a non-distracting visual presence. Program Production Manager Aaron Mack put four L1 systems to work for a wide range of activities at the museum: classical and jazz concerts, art openings, lectures, private functions, and corporate events. Through each of these applications, Mack’s L1 system configurations provide the right sound while complementing the space visually, or in some cases, being out of sight completely. By combining the L1 systems with a wireless setup, Mack is able to create nearly invisible wireless sound for events from big to small, vastly improving the audio quality in these spaces and easily saving the museum thousands on outside AV costs.
“We do quite a few events at The Gardner, both in the original Palace and our beautiful new wing, which houses a concert hall, exhibition space and studio,” Mack says. “In the original building, per Mrs. Gardner’s instructions, nothing is allowed to be changed and we adhere to her wishes. Hanging a big PA system would be inappropriate, but incorporating something like the L1 system fit our needs perfectly.”
Mack recommended the L1 system based on the success he had with the product in a previous position at a different venue.
