Through the years, houses of worship relied on the natural acoustics of their architecture. Churches were designed with high vaulted ceilings to provide a live reverberant atmosphere, and curved sanctuaries with hard surfaces to project the minister’s voice.
Today’s modern architecture combined with PA systems and electronic music amplification has created the need for proper acoustical analysis and treatment. In older buildings, the acoustic properties of the original architectural design now have become problematic. Speech is intelligible, the musicians and choir have difficulty hearing themselves, and the congregation feels disconnected.
The solution is to introduce enough absorption into the space in the proper areas to enhance speech but still provide a live environment. Acoustic wall panels and stretch wall systems are ideal for this application.
CASE STUDY: Victory Family Church, Cranberry, PAIn September 2012, Oeler Industries, Inc. was contracted by Cosco and Associates, Inc. to supply the acoustic wall and ceiling panels for the newly built Victory Family Church in Cranberry, PA.
A total of 286 4’ x 8’ x 2” thick fabric wrapped acoustic panels were installed in the mall area, back and side walls of sanctuary, and the baptistery area. The ceiling was covered in 26,000 square feet of 2” thick 4’ x 8’ sheets of black acoustic theater board. By incorporating proper acoustics in the original building design, Cosco was able to construct a very large worship venue that is both asthetically pleasing, and acoustically functional, allowing the congregation to be able to hear, understand, and fully participate in services.
