The House

A client, who must remain anonymous, holds one of the world’s most prominent private art collections, spread across multiple properties in London, Sweden and France.

Among the collection are priceless Old Master paintings, lauded modern and contemporary art, and some of the best examples of 20th-century sculpture.

Their insurer insisted on having an extra level of object-focused security, taking into account the large number of guests, workers and staff who enter the premises on any given day.

Business Challenge

Rarely in one property for more than a few months a year, the client needed a means of monitoring the collection from anywhere.

The system had to guarantee art security while easily co-existing with young family life.

The requirements were:

• All paintings and sculptures had to be monitored.
• Sensors must be invisible and cannot be hard-wired.
• Sensors must be attached and unattached without damaging artworks.
• The client must be able to move paintings between rooms without the need for outside assistance.
• Full RFID coverage throughout all properties.
• The system must be monitored at all locations, but only managed at the principal address in London by their security team.
• The collection must be managed and updated by their art advisors, Seymours.
• The system had to integrate fully with the intruder alarm and SMS in each residence.

The Solution

Fortecho Solutions worked closely with the client and incumbent security contractor AllCooper to provide the ideal system, ensuring effective integration, perfect coverage and optimal local support if and where required.

• All paintings were fitted with a long-life (8 years) motion-sensing tag.
• Fortecho Solutions created 38 bespoke pressure-sensing plinths in a shape and finish to suit each sculpture, as chosen by the client.
• 48 RFID readers were installed covertly across the properties in attics, basements, wall voids and joinery.
• A centralised database of all artworks was created, with local databases synced via a secure virtual network. London’s primary residence became the ‘Master’, while other properties function on a ‘Client’ licence.
• The software was set up to temporarily disable single or multiple sensors, and to change the registered location of artworks quickly and easily.
• The system is configured to send email alerts in the event of an artwork being touched, in addition to activating the local intruder alarm system and alerting security personnel.
• The entire system is integrated with Security Management Systems by software and/or I/O at each location.

ROI

• Enhanced security of works of art.
• Total integration of existing security systems.
• Real-time audit of the collection, accessible from anywhere.
• Instant, precise location and artwork information.
• Electronic historical log of all alarms.
• Insurance cover granted.
• Ensured security and peace of mind.