CLIENT
Simmetrico
LOCATION
Baku, Azerbaijan
YEAR
2025
PROJECT TYPE
Museum Exhibition
Scope
Full audio system design, immersive soundscape integration, onsite implementation and commissioning.
Services Provided
- →Audio system design
- →Immersive Soundscape Integration
- →Systems Engineering
- →Onsite Commissioning
- →Project Management
- →Acoustic Guidance
- →Playback and Control Integration
The Brief
Auditoria were appointed by Simmetrico to design and implement the audio systems for Baku’s new landmark, the Victory Museum, an important cultural and commemorative space driven by a strong audiovisual storytelling.
The Victory Museum’s narrative unfolds through a sequence of media-driven rooms, projection environments and interactive displays, all brought to life by the original music composed by Rocco Petruzzi.
The project had been in development for nearly two years by the time installation began, with the goal of delivering a visitor experience that was emotionally impactful, and technically precise. With all interpretation carried by sound, video, and scenic presentation, the audio systems contributed significantly to visitors’ experience delivery.
The Challenge
The museum’s architecture presented immediate acoustic complexities. Hard surfaces throughout, minimal soft finishes and walls that did not extend to the ceiling meant there was no natural acoustic separation between rooms. With each space hosting its own score, soundscape or multi-channel mix, careful level management and loudspeaker placement were essential to prevent tonal clashes between adjoining areas.
Due to the client’s objective of providing a non‑one‑to‑one audio experience and for health‑and‑safety reasons, we did not use headphone listening stations, posing the challenge of creating a collective soundscape while avoiding a cacophony. This required an approach combining distributed loudspeakers and directional speakers to balance voiceovers and activations with ambient music, ensuring that sound carried the narrative without overwhelming the visitor or neighbouring zones.
Our Approach
Auditoria joined the project at a formative stage, working closely with Simmetrico’s Creative Director, CEO and Founder, Daniele Zambelli, Composer Rocco Petruzzi, Technology Integration Lead Filippo Nepote Andrè and the wider exhibition team.
This early involvement allowed the audio design to grow alongside the narrative structure of the museum, ensuring the technical solutions served the creative intent.
Working room by room, the team collaborated with Rocco to understand how his compositions were intended to shape the emotional arc. This influenced both loudspeaker placement and the way levels were balanced as visitors moved between spaces. Where neighbouring rooms shared thematic links, the tonal transition was designed to feel gentle; where stories shifted dramatically, the audio supported that change without becoming disjointed.
Given the building’s acoustic behaviour, particular care was taken to ensure that what leaked between galleries was neither distracting nor contradictory. This required a mix of strategic loudspeaker orientation, controlled dispersion, and ongoing dialogue with the content team as the soundscapes evolved.
Technical Highlights:
Audio Design
A fully distributed loudspeaker system using Powersoft amplification, installed across all galleries
Audac loudspeakers forming the primary playback system, with Holosonics – Sound Showers and mini K-arrays directional speakers used in focused areas
Multi-channel audio deployment across several rooms to support cinematic soundscapes and interactive media
System design refined through drafting and zone-by-zone modelling to understand breakout behaviour and cross-gallery interactions
Show Control Design
QSC Q-SYS DSP for routing, processing and system-wide control
QLab for audio playback
Integration with video servers supplied by Video Soft, feeding synchronised media and interactive content
Exhibition Soundscapes
All rooms supported by an original orchestral score by Rocco Petruzzi
Soundscapes designed to complement each gallery’s storyline, from historic landscapes to political timelines and moments of conflict, through to future rebuilding and restoration
Audio levels and reinforcement calibrated to create seamless transitions between spaces despite open and reflective architecture
The Results
The Victory Museum is an emotionally charged, fully audiovisual environment in which sound plays a key role in shaping and amplifying the storytelling. Visitors move through a series of richly scored rooms that cover personal histories, political context, conflict, and the region’s future. The audio experience anchors each of these chapters, supporting the content without overpowering it.
Despite the acoustic limitations of the building, Auditoria delivered a balanced and cohesive aural journey that blends effectively with media, interactives, and scenography. The client and composer were extremely pleased with the outcome, praising both the clarity of the system and the sensitivity of the integration.
Acknowledgements
Our Client
Simmetrico
Our Team
Project Management – Joe Callister & Ethan Curry
Acoustic Advisor – Luis Miranda
Project Oversight – Scott Willsallen
On-Site Delivery – Joe Callister
Audio Engineer – Callum Phenix
Our Collaborators
Daniele Zambelli – Creative Director, CEO and Founder, Simmetrico
Rocco Petruzzi – Composer
Filippo Nepote-André – Technology Integration Lead, Simmetrico
Giulia Guarisco – PMO Director, Simmetrico
Celeste Sergianno – Content Director, Simmetrico
Devis Gobbi – Head of Exhibition Design Team, Simmetrico
Paolo Molino – AVL Engineering Consultant
Armonica – AV and System Integrator
VideoSoft – Media Servers and Software Engineering
Powersoft, Audac, Holosonics, Brown Innovations, K-Array and Q-SYS – Equipment manufacturers
VitaEvents, Unitech Digital Media, NextGen Technologies, PROAV – Audio Equipment Providers
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