The Africa Centre, an acclaimed outpost of African culture and community in the heart of Southwark, South London, was recently reopened by King Charles III following a £6.5m refurbishment, which included the installation of 158 cutting-edge Taurus wireless fire devices from Hyfire.
The Africa Centre is a vibrant hub for the African and Diaspora community, promoting creativity, innovation, and cultural exchange. Through a diverse range of programmes and events, the centre aims to foster engagement and understanding between African cultures and the UK, empowering the African community and strengthening its ties within the UK.
The fire system, completed by Triple Star Fire & Security Limited, includes an Advanced MxPro 5 fire panel, providing comprehensive protection across all six floors of the building. Speed of installation and readily available products were key factors in the decision to use Taurus devices for this project.
Managing Director of Triple Star Fire & Security Limited, Daren Pool said, “Working on such an important and iconic venue like The Africa Centre has been an incredible experience. The venue has been fully refurbished to the highest standards, so a discrete and unobtrusive fire system was required, without compromising on safety and performance. Taurus wireless fire devices from Hyfire offered the perfect solution, offering 90% less wiring and rapid installation, combined with proven performance and reliability.”
Hyfire offers the widest range of commercial standard wireless fire devices on the market, ranging from optical, multi-criteria and heat detectors to EN54-23 Approved VAD’s, all fully certified to EN54. All products offer the highest performance and quality in the industry and are also fully compliant with BS5839 Part 1. Fire panels are wired via a loop to translators, from which wireless devices can be used on their own to build fully wireless systems of virtually any size, or mixed with Hyfire wired products to provide seamless hybrid solutions, offering total flexibility to specifiers and installers.
Ollie Murray, Head of Sales at Hyfire, added, “We are proud to be part of this project, providing cutting-edge fire safety technology to an institution as esteemed as The Africa Centre. Our Taurus wireless devices offer unparalleled performance, quality, and flexibility, making them the ideal choice for this unique space.”
Developed in Trieste, Italy, the global centre for wireless fire design, Taurus features Pathfinder Technology, which allows the devices to communicate over 1km, point to point in open air, and further where expansion hops are used. Antenna technology has been optimised to allow communication across different frequencies and environments, which means that Taurus can do the job with less equipment and fewer batteries, thus saving on costs.
Sarah Clark, Chief Finance and Operations Officer at The Africa Centre said, “The safety of our visitors, staff, and the centre itself is our top priority. We have been very pleased with the system’s performance thus far, and we’re confident that the Hyfire Taurus wireless fire devices will provide the highest level of protection for all building users, which means we can focus on our ongoing mission to celebrate and promote African culture.”
Hyfire was launched in 2007, bringing to market some of the first commercial wireless detection and alarm devices fully certified to EN54. Since then, the Hyfire brand has become synonymous with quality, reliability and innovation in the commercial fire sector. Hyfire devices come with a five-year warranty, backed up by a dedicated partner programme to ensure the best survey, installation, commissioning, after-sales service and exceptional technical support.
For more information please visit: hyfirewireless.com/
