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.

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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

enquiries@genelec.com

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.