L-Acoustics Soka Transforms Heritage Banking Hall At iQ Offices Toronto

Banking Hall Venue Gains Full-range Sound System Without Heritage Impact

The restored banking hall at 302 Bay Street in Toronto has gained a discreet, high-performance sound system built around L-Acoustics Soka loudspeakers, enabling iQ Offices to host live music and DJ sets without compromising the historic fabric of the space. The installation, delivered by Toronto integration company The 192 Group, avoids any fixings in the Tavernelle marble and preserves the heritage-listed interior while turning the lobby into a social and event-ready venue.

Originally opened in 1917, the former bank building features a grand hall with a richly decorated plaster ceiling, marble wall cladding, original metalwork and stonework, and an ornamental spiral staircase leading to a mezzanine. Designated a heritage property since 1976, the 14-story tower underwent a multimillion-dollar adaptive reuse and reopened in 2025 as the flagship location of Canadian workspace operator iQ Offices. The 60,000-square-foot property now offers hotel-inspired workspace, a direct connection to Toronto’s PATH network, and premium amenities across its first three levels, with private offices above.

Workspace Operator Adds Music To Hotel-inspired Lobby Experience

iQ Offices positions itself as more than a conventional co-working provider, focusing on premium office environments and hospitality-style services in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. In Toronto alone, the company operates five locations to meet growing demand for flexible, well-served workspaces. At 302 Bay Street, that strategy includes stylish lounges and breakout areas, a rooftop terrace, a thermotherapy room with sauna and cold plunge, and a staffed barista bar in the lobby.

The banking hall lobby quickly became central to the experience iQ Offices wanted to offer at its flagship site. To support that vision, the company sought a sound system capable of background music and live DJ sets, yet discreet enough not to disrupt the building’s restored architecture. Any solution also had to respect strict heritage constraints that prohibit drilling or fixing into the marble surfaces.

Toronto-based integrator The 192 Group was tasked with solving this challenge. Founder and owner Corry McGibbon notes that the building was always intended to feel special, and iQ Offices wanted the audio to match that ambition while remaining visually unobtrusive.

L-Acoustics Soka Loudspeaker Chooses Slim Form Factor For Heritage Space

At the heart of The 192 Group’s solution is L-Acoustics Soka, a colinear source loudspeaker less than four inches deep and around 20 pounds in weight. Designed to deliver line source performance from a compact enclosure, Soka presents on the wall as a slim vertical line instead of a traditional loudspeaker box.

Those proportions proved decisive for the heritage-sensitive installation. With nails and screws prohibited in the marble, The 192 Group used silicone adhesive combined with a vertical pipe mounted to the floor to secure the loudspeakers, ensuring that no fixings penetrated the protected stone or wall surfaces. The approach allows the enclosures to appear as if they are floating in front of the marble, contributing to an architectural rather than technical aesthetic.

According to McGibbon, iQ Offices also requested a DJ connection point so the banking hall could host live sets without the visual intrusion of large speaker stacks. The compact yet high-output Soka format provided the necessary performance within the tight visual and structural constraints, making it a strong fit for both everyday background audio and more event-focused use.

System Design Combines Soka, SB10i Subwoofer And 5XT Enclosure

The installed system consists of three L-Acoustics Soka loudspeakers distributed across the main banking hall, each paired with an SB10i subwoofer for low-frequency extension. This combination delivers full-range coverage across the primary lobby and social area, including the barista bar where one of the Soka units is positioned at the far end.

To cover the mezzanine level above, The 192 Group added three ultracompact L-Acoustics 5XT coaxial enclosures, mounted discreetly in the banquettes. These provide fill for the upper seating areas while maintaining the same low-profile aesthetic as the loudspeakers in the main hall. System drive and amplification for all loudspeakers are handled by two L-Acoustics LA2Xi amplified controllers.

Together, the components create an even, full-range sound field that allows the banking hall to function as a social hub and event venue without drawing attention to the technology itself. The white, slimline enclosures visually recede into the architecture, reinforcing the design goal that the room’s historic ceiling, marble, and staircase remain the primary visual focus.

Banking Hall Venue Balances Heritage Architecture And Modern Sound

With the L-Acoustics system in place, the grand hall now supports a variety of uses, from casual working and informal meetings around the barista bar to after-hours events and DJ-led gatherings. The sound system is designed to be heard clearly but rarely noticed as equipment, aligning with the hospitality-led atmosphere that iQ Offices aims to create for members and guests.

The solution underscores how heritage venues can be adapted for contemporary workspace and event use when integrators work within conservation rules and prioritize minimal visual impact. By leveraging the compact form factor of Soka and 5XT, The 192 Group delivered a system that respects the building’s protected surfaces while expanding its functionality as a destination for collaboration and social activity.

Client Experience Confirms Integrator Partnership Value

Beyond the technical achievement, iQ Offices highlights the broader value of its relationship with The 192 Group and L-Acoustics. The workspace operator cites the integrator’s responsiveness, reliability, and consistent level of service and expertise, emphasizing that the team has evolved from a vendor relationship into something closer to an extension of its own operations.

For event planners, venue operators, and workplace designers, the 302 Bay Street project illustrates a growing expectation that even heritage and corporate environments offer high-quality, flexible audio infrastructure. As premium flexible workspaces compete with traditional offices and hospitality venues, carefully integrated sound systems such as this L-Acoustics Soka deployment will continue to play a key role in shaping user experience without compromising architectural character.