The historic Church of Ognissanti has completed an audio modernisation centered on JBL Professional loudspeakers, improving speech intelligibility throughout the sanctuary while preserving the architectural character of one of Florence's most significant churches.
Delivered by Exhibo in collaboration with the project architects and system designers, the installation combines two JBL Professional Intellivox loudspeakers covering the church's 35-meter nave with JBL Professional slim column loudspeakers positioned behind the altar to provide localised reinforcement for the presbytery.
Home to renowned Renaissance frescoes, including Sandro Botticelli's St. Augustine in His Study, commissioned by the Vespucci family in 1480, the church continues to serve as both an active parish and a destination for visitors from around the world. Its regular schedule of liturgical services, concerts and cultural events required an audio system capable of delivering clear speech without compromising the visual integrity of the protected historic building.
Like many historic churches, Ognissanti presented significant acoustic challenges. Its 35-metre nave, high vaulted ceilings and reflective masonry surfaces created long reverberation times that reduced speech intelligibility, particularly during sermons and spoken liturgy. Preservation requirements also limited the number and placement of visible loudspeakers, making traditional distributed audio systems impractical.
Exhibo conducted detailed acoustic measurements, three-dimensional modeling and beam-steering simulations before specifying a minimally invasive solution built around two JBL Professional Intellivox column loudspeakers. Installed on either side of the central nave, the loudspeakers use JBL's proprietary Digital Directivity Synthesis (DDS) technology to direct sound toward the congregation while minimising reflections from the church's walls and vaulted surfaces, delivering consistent speech coverage across the 35-metre nave.
To complement the main system, JBL Professional COL800 column loudspeakers were installed behind the altar, providing dedicated coverage for the presbytery while maintaining the same discreet visual profile throughout the sanctuary.
Following installation, the system underwent on-site tuning to refine beam steering and optimize performance within the church's unique acoustic environment. The resulting installation provides natural speech reproduction for worship services while remaining visually discreet, allowing visitors to focus on the architecture and liturgy rather than the technology itself.
Centered on just two JBL Professional Intellivox loudspeakers covering the nave, with dedicated JBL COL800 loudspeakers reinforcing the altar area, the installation demonstrates how a minimal number of carefully positioned loudspeakers can deliver consistent speech intelligibility while preserving the cultural and architectural significance of historic houses of worship.