Genelec brews up a storm at Finnish beer museum

A must for all beer aficionados, the OLVI Foundation Brewery Museum offers a unique opportunity to delve into the fascinating history and traditions of Finnish beer brewing. Located in Iisalmi – which also happens to be the home of renowned loudspeaker manufacturer Genelec – this is Finland’s only brewery museum open to the public. At its heart is a new immersive installation titled The Spirit of OLVI. Built into a custom-designed five-sided space, it invites visitors into a multi-sensory experience that uses light, image, vibration, and spatial sound to explore the 145-year history of Finland’s last major independent brewery. The system behind it is entirely bespoke – and is powered by a sophisticated Genelec loudspeaker setup.

Janne Lankinen, COO of Finnish integrator 4business, led the technical design of the museum alongside creative partners OiOi Collective. “From the start, this was a very collaborative process,” he explains. “OiOi developed the script, the visual concepts, and soundscapes, while we looked after the technical infrastructure. We collaborated from the outset with all the other contractors involved, to ensure the technology was fully integrated with the architecture of the space.”

Lankinen, himself a native of Iisalmi, knew early on that Genelec would be the right choice. “For me, the decision was easy,” he says. “Genelec is based just a few kilometres away, their sound quality is world-class, and their reliability is something we’ve trusted for years. And because we largely used Genelec’s Smart IP active loudspeakers for this project, we could power everything over a single network cable – no external amps, no extra signal or power cabling. That really helped streamline the installation and future-proof the system.”

Genelec’s sound quality is world-class, and their reliability is something we’ve trusted for years.

The Smart IP models – including the 4420, 4430, and 4436 pendant loudspeakers – feature prominently throughout the museum. In the immersive space – which offers a 180-degree visual experience across a five-sided asymmetrical display surface –4business also installed five AIW26 in-wall loudspeakers at the centre of each screen segment, supported by eight 4430s distributed across the sides, rear and ceiling, and a tightly controlled array of four 5041 in-wall subwoofers behind the screens.

“The space is designed so that each screen can deliver its own content independently,” explains Lankinen. “This was a challenge in terms of loudspeaker placement, as the dialogue needed to remain localised to the source and still sound natural, regardless of the position of the listener. We also had to control the low end carefully – especially given the asymmetrical shape of the room. We used an arc array of subs to ensure smooth low frequency coverage throughout the space.”

Enhancing the experience still further, four Clark Synthesis tactile transducers synced to the soundtrack are hidden beneath the floor, adding a physical dimension to what people are hearing. “We’ve had people gasp or smile when they realize they’re actually feeling the sound through their feet,” says Aki Päivärinne of OiOi Collective, who led the sound design. “It’s subtle, but it adds a layer of realism that really stays with you.”

Rather than rely on pre-existing spatial audio formats, each room in the museum was scored and mixed independently, with discrete playback channels for each loudspeaker. “We’re not using Atmos or anything like that,” Lankinen notes. “This is custom multichannel audio for each space. The 4business team built the playback systems to handle all of that, and made sure it was intuitive to use.”

This ease of use was crucial. As an unmanned, self-service museum, the entire system must run unattended throughout the day. “Thanks to modern technology and automation, more and more smaller museums are now unmanned,” remarks Lankinen. “In the morning, the restaurant staff power everything up with a single touch on a control screen. Visitors then select their experience via a touchscreen, whether it’s a film or a brewery tour, and the system automatically adjusts all volume levels, content, and even the lighting. It’s completely hands-off.”

Outside the immersive room, the museum continues to explore audio storytelling in creative ways. The raw materials exhibit features six Genelec 4420 Smart IP loudspeakers and two 7350 studio subwoofers, reproducing atmospheric audio that evokes the textures and smells of brewing ingredients. In the cellar area, another four 4420s deliver what Lankinen calls “a surreal soundscape – as if you’re hearing the fermentation process from inside the barrel.”

Perhaps the most technically complex section is the Symphony of the Machines, a kinetic audiovisual installation built entirely from recordings of OLVI’s factory equipment. Eight 4420 loudspeakers and two 7350 subwoofers form a surround system that gives rhythmic life to the clanks, clicks, and hiss of the brewery’s industrial side.

People don’t notice the technology at all. They’re absorbed in the story. That’s the goal.

All audio was custom-mixed for Genelec’s precise imaging and detailed output. “In a project like this, the quality of the loudspeaker really matters,” adds Päivärinne. “Because when it works, people don’t notice the technology at all. They’re absorbed in the story. That’s the goal.”

For the OLVI Foundation, the result is a dramatic transformation of what was previously a static, outdated museum. “We had a thirty-year-old exhibition in a space that people found dark and gloomy,” says Mervi Toivainen, the Foundation’s representative. “This new version invites you in. The space is modern, but not cold – it feels alive. We’ve had great feedback, and people often stay much longer than they expected.”

The project is a satisfying convergence of local culture, technical excellence, and creative storytelling – all rooted in the small Finnish town of Iisalmi. “It felt right to bring together OLVI, Genelec, OiOi, and 4business in this way,” says Lankinen. “Everyone brought their own expertise, and together we have been able to build something lasting for Iisalmi.”