Dôme des Invalides / AURA

Dôme des Invalides / AURA was one of the best projects ever accomplished by Moment Factory, Novelty and NEXO, due to the many challenges faced, the beauty of the venue, and the monumental experience which is almost sold out every night. It’s a major achievement to install a powerful, discreet, and coherent sound system in this extraordinary space.

Eight clusters of four NEXO GEO M6 compact line array elements are wall-mounted close to the pillars at the entrances of the four corner chapels, with each cluster facing the opposing pillar. L18 subs are mounted above each of the four corner arches, with a single GEO M620 at each corner firing into the dome to create a virtual source. Compact NEXO ID24s above each arch face the floor, with additional pairs of ID24s mounted above the Turenne and Vauban monuments in the two side chapels, and pairs of ID24s supplemented by an IDS110 sub in each of the four corner chapels.

Sound is central to the experience which has been described by visitors as magical and sublime, as spoken word, music and soundscapes are used in a 3-movement journey that covers the design and construction of the building, its history, the characters connected with it, and its role in the present day. The building height and the natural reverberation due to its architectural configuration were features that had to be considered. The installer had to position strategically the loudspeaker around the audience area. An all-NEXO sound system had to be supplied with custom RAL colour to match the stone walls of Les Invalides.