How Barcelona's public library built a future-ready AV network with NETGEAR Enterprise

When the Biblioteca Sarrià – J. V. Foix opened in Barcelona, it came with a clear identity: a public library built around digital culture, housed in a shared civic building designed for events, presentations, and community programming. That meant that the AV infrastructure had to be equally versatile. At its heart is a software-defined distribution system running on NETGEAR switching.

A new kind of library
Named after the Catalan poet and journalist Josep Vicenç Foix (1893–1987), a native of Sarrià whose literary legacy is interwoven with the cultural identity of the neighborhood, the library holds a collection focused on avant-garde literature and the arts. But the building itself is emphatically forward-looking. Digital culture is a core focus, and the facility was conceived to serve a public ranging from children to seniors across a wide range of activities.

The auditorium and multipurpose spaces needed to handle live presentations, performances, and community screenings with equal ease. That demanded an AV infrastructure capable of supporting high-resolution video and audio distribution simultaneously, without adding operational complexity or compromising the audience experience.

Designing for flexibility from the ground up
Because the facility was being built from the ground up, the project team had the rare opportunity to design the AV network from scratch, but also the responsibility to get it right. The system needed to be easy to operate in a public-sector venue, scalable as programming needs evolved, and robust enough to run without interruption across a busy public schedule.

Nunsys Group, a technology consultancy and systems integrator with extensive experience in audiovisual and large-scale digital transformation projects, was selected to execute the installation. Working alongside AV design consultancy No Name Concept and technology partner Lindy, the team specified an SDVoE-based distribution architecture. SDVoE (Software Defined Video over Ethernet) was chosen for its ability to handle uncompressed 4K video and audio over standard IP networks, delivering both the performance and the scalability the project required.

The critical question was the network backbone. SDVoE demands a switching layer capable of carrying high-bandwidth, low-latency traffic without compromise, making purpose-built AV networking the clear choice.

The network behind the experience
The NETGEAR M4250-26G4F-PoE+ was selected as the switching foundation for the installation. The M4250 series of smart switches is built specifically for audio-visual applications rather than adapted from generic IT hardware. Pre-configured profiles for common AV protocols simplify setup and reduce the risk of configuration errors in environments where downtime is not an option. The integrated PoE+ capability eliminates the need for separate power injectors for endpoint devices, keeping the installation clean and the infrastructure manageable.

Juan Carlos Cano is Head of Sales Spain at Lindy, a global manufacturer of professional connectivity and AV solutions, with a portfolio spanning cables, extenders, KVM, and SDVoE-based distribution systems. He highlighted how the network infrastructure changed the dynamic on-site. He recommended SDVoE technology as the best fit for the project's requirements, helping deliver a high-performance AV-over-IP deployment. After the installation was completed, he visited the Sarria auditorium to ensure the system was operating as expected.

"The key, besides the reliability and the quality of the hardware, is the ease of use - how you can get complex things in just a few clicks."

— Juan Carlos Cano, Head of Sales Spain, Lindy

NETGEAR's design services were also engaged during the project, providing configuration guidance that helped the team move efficiently through commissioning. The result, by Juan Carlos's account, was clean: no network-related issues during or after installation, and a customer who signed off satisfied.

A platform, not just a product
The Biblioteca Sarrià – J. V. Foix is now operating as intended: it’s a cultural venue that handles everything from intimate reading events to high-production multimedia presentations, underpinned by a network that neither intrudes nor underperforms. The Lindy SDVoE system distributes uncompressed 4K content across the auditorium and associated spaces with ultra-low latency, and the NETGEAR switching layer carries the bandwidth demands without visible effort.

NETGEAR products deployed
NETGEAR M4250-26G4F-PoE+

For Juan Carlos and the Lindy team, the project marked the beginning of an ongoing collaboration. Lindy and NETGEAR have since worked together on similar installations across Spain, with additional public and cultural venue projects already underway.

"It's a perfect partner in this kind of environment of IP distribution. We will continue collaborating for sure."

— Juan Carlos Cano, Head of Sales Spain, Lindy

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