BOZAR - SALLE M.
Immersive sound at the service of creation
with L-Acoustics L-ISA
A prestigious venue entering a new sonic dimension
At the heart of Brussels, BOZAR has always been a place where artistic disciplines meet, evolve and reinvent themselves. Concerts, performances, conferences, screenings and multidisciplinary creations all coexist within an institution whose spaces are as much a part of its identity as the artists who perform in them.
With its 470 seats, Salle M is one of these distinctive spaces.
Its transformation presented an opportunity to go far beyond the installation of a new sound reinforcement system. The ambition was to create an environment capable of supporting new forms of artistic expression while respecting the architectural character and prestige of BOZAR.
The result is a fully immersive L-Acoustics L-ISA 360° environment, designed to make sound an integral part of the creative possibilities of the room.
As part of this broader collaboration with BOZAR, XLR also delivered the sound system for the iconic Henry Le Bœuf Hall, equipped with an L-Acoustics L2D system in a L-ISA Hyperreal Sound configuration.
Integration from the very beginning
For a project of this nature, audiovisual technology could not be considered independently from architecture.
From the earliest stages of the project, Bozar and XLR worked in parallel with the architects responsible for Salle M. This close collaboration made it possible to anticipate the requirements of immersive sound reproduction and integrate the system naturally into the architecture rather than adapting the room around the technology afterwards.
The challenge was twofold : achieve the precision and spatial coverage required by an immersive system while keeping the technical infrastructure as discreet as possible.
One of the most visible examples is the main frontal system, which is concealed behind an acoustically transparent fabric. This allows the loudspeakers to be visually more discreet into the room while preserving their acoustic performance. Integration was carried out jointly by XLR and L-Acoustics, combining system design, architectural coordination and on-site implementation.
The objective throughout the process remained the same : technology should expand the possibilities of the venue without becoming the focus of the room itself.
From sound reinforcement to a creative environment
Salle M is no longer limited to the traditional relationship between a stage and a pair of loudspeakers.
Its L-ISA configuration allows sound sources to be positioned and moved throughout the listening space, creating a much stronger relationship between what happens on stage and what the audience hears.
The frontal system is based around five loudspeaker clusters, establishing the foundation for L-ISA Hyperreal Sound. Rather than concentrating the entire sound image into conventional left and right positions, the system can reproduce a broader and more natural sonic perspective across the stage.
Surround loudspeakers extend this experience around the audience, transforming the entire room into a potential acoustic canvas.
For artists, sound designers and production teams, this opens the door to an entirely different creative vocabulary.
Music can extend beyond the stage. Sound can surround or move through the audience. Individual elements can be positioned within the room. A performance can use space itself as part of its composition.
It gives BOZAR the freedom to host productions conceived specifically for immersive audio, while remaining perfectly suited to more conventional performances.
A discreet technical sound architecture
Behind this creative flexibility lies a carefully integrated L-Acoustics infrastructure.
The main L-ISA system consists of five frontal clusters, each combining two A10i Focus with one A10i Wide. Four KS21i provide low-frequency reinforcement, while seven compact 5XT loudspeakers are positioned along the stage and an additional five X8 complete the system.
The immersive surround environment extends throughout the room with ten X8i, two X8 and four 5XT loudspeakers, supported in the low frequencies by two additional KS21.
The system is powered by LA7.16 and LA4X amplified controllers and managed through an L-Acoustics L-ISA Processor II. Network distribution and control rely on an LC16D and four LS10 switches.
Two X12 loudspeakers provide monitoring, while the wireless microphone infrastructure is based around Shure Axient Digital, with two AD4DE receivers, four AD2/B58 handheld transmitters and RF Venue antenna distribution.
Technology serving culture
For a prestigious institution such as BOZAR, technological modernization only makes sense when it creates new opportunities for artists and audiences.
Salle M demonstrates what becomes possible when architecture, electroacoustic design and cultural ambition are considered as part of the same project from the beginning.
The immersive system does more than improve sound reproduction. It allows creators to approach the room differently, experiment with spatial composition and imagine performances that would previously have required entirely different technical environments.
At the same time, its architectural integration ensures that the identity of the venue remains intact. Technology is present everywhere, yet visually it remains in the background. The result is a room prepared not only for today's productions, but for forms of artistic creation that are still emerging.
For BOZAR, Salle M is now an immersive creative space where music, cinema and performance can explore sound in every dimensions.