One of the main strengths of the Marina di Varazze tourist port is its privileged position with respect to the cities of Northern Italy and Central Europe. Marina di Varazze is open and active all year round and is a sought-after leisure destination for those wishing to spend their free time in an attractive, elegant environment.
The stretch of water inside the port has 800 large berths for boats up to 35 meters in length, where owners benefit from the marina’s professional service. The complex also has prestigious apartments, all with a sea view, and 900 parking spaces serving the entire structure with charging columns for electric cars. The presence of luxury goods such as boats and prestigious cars, in addition to the high flow of people, requires a superior level of safety and security.
Marina di Varazze needed to replace a completely analogue video surveillance system that no longer met its needs. The security team, therefore, decided to invest in a new generation system to improve the quality of the recordings and give operators the ability to view footage remotely.
The aim of the upgrade was to improve the safety of the personnel assigned to the structure, of the shipowners, and of the commercial premises located on the promenade of the port itself. Furthermore, there was the need to have the option of providing clear and effective documentation to the police in the event of a specific request/investigation. The video surveillance system had to be able to protect the 232,000 square metres of port, of which 144,000 square metres is water, as well as shops, restaurants, bars, car parks, public areas, and luxury apartments within the marina.
The Marina security team had previously worked on a successful installation with XiX by Paolo Laterza, and had built a trusting relationship as a result. So they once again turned to XiX by Paolo Laterza to install the first phase of cameras, the fibre-optic infrastructure, and all active equipment, switches, servers, and clients.
XiX by Paolo Laterza advised Marina di Varazze to continue investing in Wisenet Q and Wisenet X cameras, given the full range of video surveillance products and solutions available, and the possibility of centralising the system thanks to the VMS Wisenet WAVE. The first phase involved the installation of IP cameras, in particular 33 bullet cameras and four-speed domes. After completing this first phase, and with the changing needs of the marina, additional cameras were added, bringing the total to 67.
Marina di Varazze invested in Wisenet WAVE, Hanwha Techwin’s VMS, to consolidate video feeds from both Wisenet cameras and legacy devices still in use. There is a control room on site to protect and monitor the marina 24/7, and thanks to Wisenet WAVE, operators can quickly access the footage to investigate events and people of interest.
In addition, operators can easily find the most appropriate footage and images relating to an event and export this data to be delivered, if necessary, to the police. The Wisenet WAVE user interface is simple and intuitive to use, which means security personnel can quickly learn to use Hanwha Techwin’s VMS. A powerful server-client system allows management both locally and remotely allowing the marina manager to view live and recorded videos remotely.
The installed cameras have a minimal aesthetic impact, integrating with the architecture of the marina, designed by the Italian architects Roberto Gabetti, Aimaro Isola, and Pietro Venezia.
There are eight buildings that are inspired by early twentieth-century bathing establishments in Liguria, built from iroko wood and stone, with antiqued copper roofs. The cameras are installed on customised AISI-316 stainless steel poles that recall the shapes of an anchor, designed and manufactured by XiX by Paolo Laterza, using special brackets cut to size by laser, and are aesthetically discreet.
The new video surveillance system improves the safety of guests, visitors, staff working in the marina, material assets, and business premises. It also provides clear and effective documentation for authorities in the event of a crime, such as unauthorised access to docks and boats.
The video surveillance system, thanks to the quality of the images provided by the cameras, has already demonstrated its effectiveness in supporting the investigation activities of local law enforcement agencies as well as allowing the Maritime Authority to reconstruct, for insurance purposes, the dynamics of any events that have occurred in the water and/or on the docks.
