The Church and Monastery of St. Francis, a landmark of Croatian heritage nestled in the heart of the seafront city of Pula, has served as a place of worship and cultural gathering for centuries. Recently, the church embarked on a transformative journey to elevate its acoustics and improve sound clarity. With its recent collaboration with Renkus-Heinz, facilitated by the brand’s new Croatian distributor, LAV Projekt, the Church and Monastery of St. Francis achieved an integration of state-of-the-art audio technology.
Dating back to the 14th century, the Church and Monastery of St. Francis combines Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles. Dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, the church comprises a central hall, elevated sanctuary, and apse areas, along with a gallery featuring a historic pipe organ. In addition to its role as a place of worship, the church frequently hosts concerts, exhibitions and cultural gatherings, further amplifying the need for high-quality audio.
Bringing in Renkus-Heinz
“St. Francis Church’s original sound system was unable to deliver the clarity and coverage needed for both worship services and events,” explains Patricio Valenta, audio system specialist at LAV Projekt. “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.”
The open and reverberant nature of sacral spaces like the Church of St. Francis presents notable acoustic challenges. Stone walls and high ceilings can often cause sound reflections and echoes that degrade speech intelligibility and audio clarity. For a structure that hosts both spoken word and musical performances, the task was clear: to deliver consistent sound coverage without disrupting the architecture or creating excessive reverberation.
“Our team knew that any system implemented here had to be meticulously planned,” remarks Valenta. “The objective was to keep sound clear and focused on the congregation without interfering with the church’s ancient aesthetic.”
Leveraging Beam-Steering Technology
Photo courtesy: Renkus-Heinz
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. The ICC36/3 loudspeakers, with its compact size and robust vertical directivity, provide powerful sound coverage in a form factor that blends effortlessly with the historic interiors, according to Renkus-Heinz.
“Given the unique challenges of this space, we selected the ICC36/3 for its precise digital beam-steering capabilities,” says Valenta. “This technology allowed us to focus the audio precisely on the congregation, reducing unwanted reflections and enhancing clarity.”
The team then installed two ICC36/3 units between the sanctuary and nave, facing the congregation. Each loudspeaker utilizes Renkus-Heinz’s beam-steering technology, which directs the sound exactly where needed. With this, it thus minimizes reflections from walls, ceilings and other surfaces. The integrated 36-channel amplifier also enables refined control over the sound field, ensuring that every word spoken during a service or event reaches listeners with clarity.
Providing Additional Sound Coverage
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. “The UBX4 was ideal for delivering the required sound reinforcement without visually intruding on the space,” notes Valenta. The UBX Series, utilizing Passive UniBeam technology, achieves asymmetric vertical dispersion, maintaining consistent directivity and reducing interference from side reflections.
The team installed an additional Renkus-Heinz UBX8 passive directional loudspeaker in the atrium to extend clear audio coverage to the monastery courtyard. Like the UBX4, the UBX8 can handle outdoor environments and integrates seamlessly into the exterior layout. “The UBX8 makes the liturgy audibly accessible in the atrium, allowing the sound to carry naturally across the courtyard,” adds Valenta.
After installation, the system was calibrated to optimize the performance of the Iconyx Compact using Renkus-Heinz’s OmniBeam software. This tool, which allows precise control over the angles of each sound beam, was essential in ensuring seamless audio coverage. Steerable columns are the preferred choice for challenging spaces, and Renkus-Heinz has made their solutions remarkably user-friendly. The calibration process also played a pivotal role in achieving an impressive Speech Transmission Index for Public Address (STI-PA) score, exceeding 0.6 across more than 90% of the church — demonstrating excellent speech intelligibility.
A Significant Milestone for Renkus-Heinz & Church of St. Francis
Photo courtesy: Renkus-Heinz
This first project for Renkus-Heinz’s new Croatian distributor marks a significant milestone, both for the brand and the Church of St. Francis. “This installation exemplifies our commitment to delivering precision audio in even the most challenging and historic spaces,” shares Michal Poplawski, export sales and marketing director at Renkus-Heinz. “The success of this project demonstrates how technology can enhance traditional spaces without compromising their essence.”
In Pula, the Church and Monastery of St. Francis now stands as a model of how heritage sites can evolve with technology, meeting modern audio needs while preserving historical beauty. According to the manufacturer, this project not only celebrates Renkus-Heinz’s entry into the Croatian market but also sets a precedent for how sacred and cultural venues can benefit from premium sound solutions.
