Saw a fire alarm setup at the new library downtown that made me stop and stare

I was at the grand opening of the new Central Library branch yesterday, just checking it out with my family. My eyes went straight to the ceiling, like they always do, and I noticed the fire alarm horn/strobe placements. They had them in every single aisle between the bookshelves, not just on the main walkways. It's a huge open floor plan, and they must have put in at least 50 devices just on that main level. What got me was the wiring run. I could trace the conduit from the main panel, and it was all surface-mounted in this clean, straight line along the ceiling beams, painted to match. No trying to hide it in drop ceilings, just a really neat, industrial look that actually worked with the building's style. It's a simple thing, but seeing a public job done that neatly, where someone clearly took their time, felt like a win for all of us. Has anyone else run into a public space install lately that just looked... right?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencerh951d ago

Yeah, and what @sarahb59 said about access for checks is so true. It reminds me of the fire alarm panel at my old high school, which was just this big ugly metal box right in the main hall. They finally redid it last year and put it in this little alcove with a nice wood frame, like it was part of the building and not just slapped on. It's those little touches that make a space feel less like an institution. Makes you wonder who the electrician was that took the extra time.

sarahb591d ago

Honestly, I get what you're saying about it looking neat, but that surface-mounted conduit is probably a code thing, not just a style choice. In a big open space like that with high ceilings, they can't just hide the wiring in a ceiling that isn't there. The fire alarm system needs to be super easy to get to for any fixes or checks. It's cool that they made it look clean though, a lot of places just slap it up and call it a day.