
L-Acoustics helps Institute of Physics achieve ambitions aims posted: 06/11/2019
Along with two Syva, one left, one right - around the main gallery screen - the main gallery's flexible system also includes four 108P and an SB15P sub that can be deployed as needed.
The Institute of Physics for the UK and Ireland (IOP) has an impressive new London HQ, built from the ground-up with a modern architectural statement that has AV designed-in from the start. The site is an old plumbing supplies shop in the developing creative industries area near Kings Cross, London. Leaving just the original brick fa ade, it has been transformed into something completely new. The polished concrete structure of this £13.5 million project brings focus to the large screens and interactive experiences that will greet more than 200,000 IOP visitors every year. It is a space that radiates cutting-edge science, and one that required visual and audio technologies to be as much a part of its essence as the concrete itself.
Recursive AV, the AV consultant on the project, had the unique opportunity to liaise with and influence the architects more than two years before completion, allowing them to achieve the best visitor experience possible.
Institute_of_Physics_London
David Yates, the Managing Director at Recursive, went about choosing premium technologies to complement the institute's ambitious aims, including specifying L-Acoustics Syva and Kiva as the ideal audio solutions. We really felt that the IOP deserved a high-end audio approach, he explains. They have people coming from all over the world: academics, policymakers, broadcasters, and so on. We wanted to be sure that the sonic quality and the visual impact would be absolutely correct, and that the system could cope with a challenging space. We needed to deliver fantastic intelligibility and a consistent sonic signature in several configurations.
L-Acoustics Kiva II and SB15m provide coverage for London's Institute of Physics auditorium.
Good planning and predictable results were key for this project, as the building design did not allow room for mistakes. The building's interior makes a feature of clean, polished concrete, so would not tolerate having any cables or cable conduits on display. Cable routes had to be precast in the concrete and additional holes were out of the question as the water used in drilling would have stained it. This meant that acoustic modelling was key to the planning stage, so speaker positions could be worked out before construction.
Auditorium Kiva II in the Institute of Physics auditorium
Recursive used L-Acoustics Soundvision 3D modelling software to design the system and predict the outcomes. With Soundvision, what you model, is what you get, notes Yates. Its fantastic at predicting the real-life response, which is not necessarily true with other products. We trust the process.
A special feature of the IOP building is a large, flexible auditorium that can be divided into two sections with a movable wall, and another front wall that can be removed, opening into a large, triple-height gallery area beyond. The centrepiece of the gallery is a custom-made 11-metre-wide screen that uses three edge-blended projectors for its expansive image. On Recursive's advice, the project architects actually increased ceiling heights in that area and turned the whole space through 90 degrees. A big priority for Yates was ensuring that the flexibility of this space would be served by a consistent audio signature.
Syva in the main gallery of the Institute of Physics.
Recursive selected L-Acoustics Syva for left and right speakers around the main gallery screen, along with four 108P and an SB15P sub that can be deployed in flexible ways around the gallery, dependent on need. Two Kiva II are hung in the auditorium, left and right, with two more SB15m subs.
We needed the systems to work as one when the space was opened out, and we also needed the components to work aesthetically. states Yates. Syva was designed with art galleries in mind and really works for this environment. Also, the gallery suffers from a high reverb time, and Syva deals with that very well. In fact, when you come into the building on the ground floor you walk over to a balcony and look down into that space. Syva covers that, too.
108P in the main gallery of the Institute of Physics.
For the auditorium we needed a wide stereo image and something that would punch, while keeping the sound consistent when its opened up. Its also got a low ceiling. Kiva II is a compact box and works really well in that area.
Yates acknowledges that the IOP facility has been a challenging system to design but notes that the flexibility of the L-Acoustics range and the accuracy of Soundvisions predictions played a big part in getting it right the first time.
London's Institute of Physics has installed an L-Acoustics sound system.
Weve had a long history of working with L-Acoustics. Its a brand we know and trust. As well as the tools they provide, the support they give on the ground is excellent. Theyre always there for us and we know that we are collaborating on projects as a partnership.
This is not a typical L-Acoustics system; we havent followed the rule book rigidly. However, the systems are so well matched across all the ranges that we were confident it would work - and it did.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
19/05/2026
Actus Digital, a LiveU company, and a leading provider of intelligent media monitoring and broadcast compliance platforms, announced today that METEO CONSULT ha...
19/05/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of managed services for the broadcast and media industry, today announced the completion of a major renovation of its Singapore fa...
19/05/2026
Following a major upgrade to its Connecticut remote production centre with the installation of three 60-fader Argo S consoles in 2023, RPS has switched one of t...
19/05/2026
PlayBox Technology today announced the launch of Celebro Play, a browser-based media orchestration platform designed specifically for broadcast facilities and p...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
LYNX Technik, provider of modular signal processing solutions for broadcast, post, and professional AV will showcase its latest signal processing solutions at B...
19/05/2026
Media Links, a leading developer and manufacturer of IP media transport solutions, has announced the integration of its Xscend platform with Skyline Communicat...
19/05/2026
Collaboration expands regional partner ecosystem as Media Links showcases IP media transport solutions on stand 4M4-4 and alongside Clearcast Asia on stand
Me...
19/05/2026
Company Highlights Labor-Saving Control and Custom Branding Opportunities Designed to Increase Integrator Profitability
LynTec, a leading manufacturer of ele...
19/05/2026
Mago Studio Moves AI Video Beyond Prompts with New Production-Focused Tools
Brie Clayton May 18, 2026
0 Comments
New Capabilities Bring Controllable, ...
19/05/2026
It May be Time to Stop and Take an AI Breather
Brie Clayton May 19, 2026
0 Comments
If the rock you stay on starts to roll, jump clean. Or you'll...
18/05/2026
Despite a bumpy start to the year, the provider of event-production support and ...
18/05/2026
Daktronics has partnered with the University of North Carolina to manufacture and install 11 LED displays totaling more than 10,000 square feet and more than 14...
18/05/2026
CBS LA has announced a multi-year partnership with the Los Angeles Rams, covering exclusive local broadcasts of Rams preseason games, weekly year-round programm...
18/05/2026
Skyline Communications has announced an integration between its DataMiner xOps p...
18/05/2026
eCLUTCH, the hybrid esports platform powered by iKOMG, has announced an expansion of its distribution across Europe, MENA, Africa, and Asia, along with new cont...
18/05/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/05/2026
With 22 games this season, the production team looks forward to tweaking and enhancing the coverage
After 8,660 days off the air, the WNBA returned to NBC yest...
18/05/2026
(L-R) Midori Francis and Natalie Erika James attend the Saccharine premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 22, 2026, in ...
18/05/2026
Last night, the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico returned to the country's capital. Now in its second year, the evening honors creators whose voices are hel...
18/05/2026
ZEN-Core synth goes mobile
Roland's powerful ZEN-Core software synthesizer has just been introduced to the iPad, offering a convenient entry point into ...
18/05/2026
Versatile new limiter plug-in announced
Based in Sheffield, UK, fedDSP offer a range of plug-ins that span the music production, live sound and high-end med...
18/05/2026
A new use for convolution?
Viiri Audio's debut plug-in aims to do something a little different with convolution processing, allowing users to adjust all...
18/05/2026
Delta Goodrem shines for SBS as more than 3.27 million Australians tune in for E...
18/05/2026
The Australian Defence Force uses L3Harris T4 and T7 robots for explosive ordnan...
18/05/2026
Continued investment across Europe and Germany is expanding local teams and improving access to stock, regional expertise, and specialist broadcast support.
CV...
18/05/2026
Agentic AI inference at one-tenth the cost per token with NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL7...
18/05/2026
18 May 2026
Dubai and New York, May 18, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a glob...
18/05/2026
Monday 18 May 2026
Sky News offers ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes for just...
18/05/2026
Comscore March 2026 Consumer AI Chatbot Usage Rankings Show Claude Gaining Share OpenAI's ChatGPT maintains lead while Anthropic's Claude continues to c...
17/05/2026
Delta Goodrem's Eurovision Eclipse marks end of a stellar run
17 May, 2026
Media releases
Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026
Relive every spellbinding mome...
17/05/2026
Back to All News
Oasis Premieres on Netflix June 19
Entertainment
17 May 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Summer, sunshine, the beach, parties. T...
16/05/2026
Helps to deliver a clean, balanced midrange
Developed alongside Newfangled Audio, the latest plug-in in Eventide's software collection has been designed...
16/05/2026
Brings onboard stem rendering to RANE System One
Engine DJ have just released Engine DJ 5.0, a free update for their Engine DJ OS embedded hardware and Engi...
16/05/2026
Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls
Jessie Electa Petrov May 16, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic de...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...
15/05/2026
Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...
15/05/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...