Columbus Zoo

Audio Design Challenge

The Columbus Zoo is one of the world’s most well-known and well-respected zoos. And their sound system needed to match the quality of the rest of the zoo experience, as well as contribute to visitors’ experience of seeing the animals in their natural environments—while providing sound coverage in several separate areas.

Audio Design Solution

The exhibits at the Columbus Zoo are designed to represent various regions of the world, and the zoo wanted to use sound to help recreate the feel of an African savannah or an Asian rainforest. To ensure excellent sound clarity, adequate coverage and outdoor durability, a team from Muzak and Bose designed a system of Bose products that incorporated in-ground loudspeakers to reproduce sound over a wide listening area. In addition, a proprietary multi-chamber base enclosure inside each cabinet delivers full sound without distortion.

The sound system design also needed to accommodate different music, sound programming and volume levels for each exhibit area, the walkways, and the entrance and common areas. The Bose and Muzak team chose the innovative Bose ControlSpace® programming system, so that zoo staff could make adjustments quickly and easily as music and environmental sounds changed throughout the day.

The Result

“People say it has really changed the experience for the better,” said Manny Gonzalez, chief operating officer for the Columbus Zoo. “We want our guests to have a more active experience. What they see, what they touch and certainly what they hear are all critical to the experience we want to create. Bose and Muzak were right on the mark, from the sound to the service to the installation.”