Paragon 360 facilitates downsizing upgrade
PressThe pandemic of 2020 took its toll on many churches including First Baptist Church of Jacksonville in Florida. The church decided to move its services from its 9,000-seat sanctuary into the smaller 900-seat capacity Lindsay Memorial Auditorium on the sprawling downtown campus. To facilitate this downsizing, the church commissioned Paragon 360 to help renovate the space. The $1.8 million investment is now catering for multi-cultural and multi-generational activities and audiences.
USA: The pandemic of 2020 took its toll on many churches including First Baptist Church of Jacksonville in Florida. The church decided to move its services from its 9,000-seat sanctuary into the smaller 900-seat capacity Lindsay Memorial Auditorium on the sprawling downtown campus. To facilitate this downsizing, the church commissioned Paragon 360 to help renovate the space. The $1.8 million investment is now catering for multi-cultural and multi-generational activities and audiences.
The project included the demolition of the interior back-of-house area and a basic remodeling of the sanctuary. The sanctuary renovation included replacing the auditorium carpet, painting the lower floor pews, adding new toilets and creating a new modular choir loft. The Paragon team also modernised the audio, video and lighting systems in order to enhance live streaming capabilities for hybrid services and programmes.
Following a full survey and analysis of the room's audio and acoustical properties, Paragon upgraded the existing audio system and added extensive acoustical work throughout the venue. In addition, Paragon added its signature monitoring system for the choir, orchestra, praise team, and front-line singers. Paragon's choir monitor system design utilises a near field technique, with smaller monitors mounted throughout the choir. This technique drastically reduces the overall volume required for each choir member to hear their tailored monitor mix. All three monitoring systems work in unison to provide the right mix to each musician and lower the on-stage volume to provide clarity and control.
Updates to the existing lighting system, including new LED lighting fixtures, data distribution equipment and hardware were implemented. The most prominent addition to the new stage design was the addition of Uniliumin LED walls serving as IMAG screens on the right and left driven by NovaStar processing. An additional Uniliumin LED wall is custom built into the front side of the choir wall to create virtual imagery behind the presenter.
The newly updated Lindsay Memorial Auditorium at First Baptist Jacksonville is well-positioned for the future. With the modular choir loft and centre stage LED wall, the space has been used well for contemporary and traditional worship, kids and youth programming and special events.
Originally featured on worshipavl.com