Renkus-Heinz audio recently upgraded the sound at The Church and Monastery of St. Francis, a landmark of Croatian heritage nestled in the heart of the seafront city of Pula, which has served as a place of worship and cultural gathering for centuries. In order to elevate its acoustics and improve sound clarity, the church collaborated with Renkus-Heinz’s new Croatian distributor, LAV Projekt.
Dating back to the 14th century, the church comprises a central hall, elevated sanctuary, and apse areas, along with a gallery featuring a historic pipe organ. As well as services, it hosts concerts, exhibitions, and cultural gatherings. But its open and reverberant nature presented notable acoustic challenges.
To overcome these challenges, the project team recommended Renkus-Heinz Iconyx Compact ICC36/3 active digital beam-steerable loudspeakers for the nave and sanctuary areas. Renkus-Heinz says the ICC36/3 loudspeakers, known for their compact size and robust vertical directivity, provide powerful sound coverage while blending with the historic interiors.
Two ICC36/3 units were installed between the sanctuary and nave, facing the congregation. Each loudspeaker utilises Renkus-Heinz’s beam-steering technology, which allows the sound to be directed exactly where needed, minimising reflections from walls, ceilings, and other surfaces. The integrated 36-channel amplifier is designed to enable refined control over the sound field.
For the sanctuary and apse areas, the team also incorporated two Renkus-Heinz UBX4 passive directional column loudspeakers. These compact units, mounted discreetly behind the ICC36/3 speakers, provide additional sound coverage to the altar.
Patricio Valenta, audio system specialist at LAV Projekt, said: “St. Francis Church’s original sound system was unable to deliver the clarity and coverage needed for both worship services and events. With the expertise of Renkus-Heinz, we envisioned a system that would respect the church’s aesthetic while addressing the complex acoustics of this sacred space.”
He continued: “Our team knew that any system implemented here had to be meticulously planned. The objective was to keep sound clear and focused on the congregation without interfering with the church’s ancient aesthetic.”
An additional Renkus-Heinz UBX8 passive directional loudspeaker was installed in the atrium to extend clear audio coverage to the monastery courtyard. Like the UBX4, the UBX8 is designed to handle outdoor environments and integrates well with the exterior layout. “The UBX8 makes the liturgy audibly accessible in the atrium, allowing the sound to carry naturally across the courtyard,” said Valenta.
After installation, the system was calibrated to optimise the performance of the Iconyx Compact using Renkus-Heinz’s OmniBeam software, which allows precise control over the angles of each sound beam. The calibration process played a pivotal role in achieving a Speech Transmission Index for Public Address (STI-PA) score that exceeded 0.6 across more than 90 percent of the church, Renkus-Heinz said.
This is the first project for Renkus-Heinz’s new Croatian distributor. Michal Poplawski, export sales and marketing director at Renkus-Heinz, said: “This installation exemplifies our commitment to delivering precision audio in even the most challenging and historic spaces. The success of this project demonstrates how technology can enhance traditional spaces without compromising their essence.”
