14 Nov EasyGate LG making security easy at Channel 9’s Melbourne HQ

A recent $2 million lobby upgrade of landmark commercial office building at 717 Bourke Street, Docklands in Melbourne has seen an increase in security for tenants, including the 9 Network.

The refurbishment saw the main reception area on Level 4 of the architecturally-renowned A Grade building transformed to a modern welcoming space. The changes brought an abundance of natural light to the internal areas, complemented by multi-angled feature timber ceilings and walls, and natural stone floors.

George Fitzpatrick, Knight Frank’s Senior Facilities Manager for 717 Bourke Street said Entrance Control was one of two suppliers approached for the access control component of the project.

We were looking for something to stop unauthorised access to the lifts and to control who was entering the building. Entrance Control met our requirements for the project, both operational and aesthetic, and were the more competitively priced of the two suppliers.

The solution incorporates one set of four lanes of Entrance Control’s EasyGate LG and another set of three lanes, with an additional SwingGate for deliveries and disabled access. The speedgates feature 1.2m high retracting glass barriers, as well as Entrance Control’s state of the art Magnetic Direct Drive (MDD) motors.

The EasyGate LG features glass barriers designed to retract inside the pedestal after a valid card is presented, giving the user a clear lane to pass through. Together, the optical tailgate detection technology and retracting motion ensure that the EasyGate LG closes as soon as the authorised person has safely cleared the barrier, to effectively deter unauthorised entry and tailgating.

Entrance Control also installed three lanes of the EasyGate LG on Ground Level foyer of the building, this time with 1.8m high barriers to offer greater security in an unmanned situation.

Entrance Control General Manager Michael Bystram said the EasyGate LG was the best performing slide barrier on the market.

The Easygate LG offers security, safety and efficiency in a quiet, attractive package. This makes it ideal for a high traffic, high security environment like this, where aesthetics are important.

The project also included a visitor card return system for each set of lanes, something Mr Bystram said can save businesses money and improve security by ensuring visitors don’t leave the building without returning their cards, intentionally or not.

“Visitors scan their card on entry at any gate but must drop their card into a slot on the dedicated visitor gate on exit. If the card is valid the visitors exit is authorised, and their card is dropped in to a locked tray where it can be collected by a guard at a later stage. If the card is not authorised, it is returned to the user and access is not allowed.”

Mr Fitzpatrick says he would recommend Entrance Control, and the EasyGate LG, to anyone considering installing or improving access control for their building or facility.

“The solution was commissioned without issue and is working as expected. We’re happy.”