Located on the perimeter of the Podomoro Golf Complex in a suburb of Jakarta, Indonesia, the new At-Thohir Mosque, which can host up to 1,900 worshippers, is served by a sound reinforcement system following strict design criteria that utilizes L-Acoustics Syva and X Series loudspeakers in a project by integrator PT Gracia Auvindo (based in Jakarta).
Wishing to maintain the grandeur of the building—its clean white interior, tastefully adorned with gold calligraphy representing the 99 meanings of Allah—the mosque’s technical committee required a system that would discreetly fit into the building’s aesthetic. With recent government guidelines putting a cap on sound volumes at 100 decibels and limiting amplified audio to inside buildings, it complicated the sound system choice.
Hendra Halim, project manager and systems engineer at PT Gracia Auvindo, explains that in addition to the aesthetic and SPL requirements, installation options were limited in the 28.5-meter by 28.5-meter main prayer hall, adding, “In addition, the hall is constructed of marble and granite, creating reflective surfaces throughout, compounded by the inner side of a dome-shaped roof.”
He worked with L-Acoustics application project engineer APAC Chung Wah Khiew using L-Acoustics Soundvision to design a system that would minimize reflections by keeping sound more focused on the audience area, avoiding the domed roof and reflective walls. “We mapped a Syva design in Soundvision and found that its 50-meter throw capacity would be more than sufficient for the 30-meter-deep prayer hall,” he explains. The graceful lines of Syva would also fit into the architecture, so Halim brought the design proposal to the mosque committee, noting that the system would be white to match the venue.
The final system design installed in the main prayer hall consists of two Syva placed four meters high and serving as the main system. Four 5XT coaxial loudspeakers serve as front-fill, while an X8 serves as center-fill. Two additional Syva, mounted at 3.5-meters, serve as delays. “The two Syva delays allow the mosque to avoid driving the main Syva at full power, thereby reducing reflections,” says Khiew.
Four additional 5XT coaxial loudspeakers are installed in the antechamber, while two further 5XT are installed in the mosque’s basement, both of which are used for celebratory functions.
“Working as a team with L-Acoustics and the At-Thohir committee, we’ve succeeded in overcoming important challenges to getting great sound in this space,” Halim concludes. “Soundvision was especially helpful in ensuring that our team proposed and installed the ideal system, and the satisfaction of the committee and the congregation are a great honor for the PT Gracia Auvindo team and me.”
The mosque was built by the extended family of automotive magnate, the late Teddy Thohir. It features 29 domes meant to signify family. The building is a gift from a government minister, one of Thohir’s sons, to the local community and was inaugurated this spring by Indonesia’s president.
