Fountain Street Church
Opened in 1924, Fountain Street Church is one of Grand Rapids’ most recognizable cultural and architectural landmarks. Designed to serve as a public auditorium as well as a house of worship, the venue has held an important role in the city’s arts scene, hosting concerts and live performances by artists ranging from Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong to touring acts like U2 and BB King.
Over time, the church’s sound system began to show its age. While it could support spoken word services, it did not have the output required for concert level events. Larger performances required renting a traditional line array, a temporary solution for a room that seats more than 1,500 people.
The goal was to deliver concert-ready performance from a permanent audio installation that could manage the room’s acoustics within a minimal visual footprint. LiveSpace AVL identified K-array early in the process as a strong fit for the size and acoustic layout of the space, which includes walnut ceilings, tiled floors, stone columns, and intricate mosaics.
The main system is built around two, custom colored four meter tall Kayman line arrays, combining Kayman KY102 and KY52 loudspeakers. Finished in custom RAL Dove Grey, the arrays blend naturally into the church’s stone interior.
Low-frequency support comes from Thunder KS4P I subwoofers, with KGEAR GH4 point source speakers used as under-balcony fills to maintain consistent coverage throughout the room. Vyper KV52 loudspeakers support additional areas and the entire system is powered by Kommander+ series amplifiers chosen to maximize Dante channels. The result is a permanent installation that supports both spoken-word services and full-scale live events without adding visual weight to the historic space.
