Church - Temple of Fun Case Study

Popular Cultural Hangout in Sheffield Installs AtlasIED Atmosphere^® to Deliver High-Energy Audio Experiences

Church – Temple of Fun is a vibrant vegan bar, restaurant, and entertainment venue located in Sheffield’s Kelham Island district in the United Kingdom. Housed in the historic Osborn Works building, the venue blends Gothic and industrial architecture with striking South American–inspired religious décor. Opened in 2018 by Oliver Sykes, frontman of the band Bring Me The Horizon, Church offers an entirely plant-based menu featuring burgers, hot dogs, loaded fries, and comfort classics, complemented by craft beers, creative cocktails, and non-alcoholic options.

The atmosphere is eclectic and immersive, with stained-glass–style windows, murals, and ornate statues creating a playful nod to spiritual iconography. Beyond dining, the venue features retro arcade machines, gaming pods, pool tables, and a riverside terrace overlooking the River Don, making it both a social hub and an experience-driven destination. Regular live music, DJ nights, and art events contribute to its reputation as one of Sheffield’s most distinctive cultural hangouts — equal parts bar, community space, and “temple of fun.”

With such a varied spectrum of activities taking place in the venue’s spaces, high-quality, easy-to-control zoned audio is essential. Experienced installer Audio Engineering Services (AES). of Sheffield is Church’s preferred audio supplier and was responsible for installing the venue’s audio system and, most recently, upgrading its audio control.

“The original control system at the venue had begun to fail, and the team at Church wanted to replace it with a system that would be simple and intuitive to operate,” said Andy Fisher, Owner, at Audio Engineering Services. “As a multi-faceted venue comprising bar, restaurant, live music area, and more, it’s critical that the staff at Church can readily control the audio levels in order to create the right ambience. Therefore, I recommended the AtlasIED Atmosphere platform — I’ve installed it in several venues, and it’s proven to be very popular with clients.”

An Atmosphere AZM8 was aptly suited to meet the Church’s needs. The AZM8 is an eight-zone digital signal processor and the heart of an Atmosphere audio control system. A built-in message player, virtual wall controllers, learning ambient noise sensing, Tilter Filter™, auto-gain, GPIO, room combine, and more make the AZM8 a processing powerhouse.

Programming is simple via an on-board web interface optimized for common use cases. The control interface is device agnostic, responsive, and meticulously designed for an ideal user experience without sacrificing design freedom. In addition to Ethernet, built-in Wi-Fi allows tablets and other controlling devices to connect directly to the AZM8 via rights-based access.

AES enhanced the venue’s flexibility and ease of use by installing an Atmosphere C-ZS wall controller, enabling staff to control audio levels and source selection across multiple zones with simple, intuitive controls.

With user-friendly controls designed to prevent accidental configuration changes, staff can confidently manage the system without technical oversight. This ease of use drives greater adoption, ensures the system delivers long-term value, and even boosts employee engagement by empowering staff to take ownership of their environment.

Church staff were excited about the new system control capabilities and loved being able to use their phones to adjust audio levels in all areas using Atmosphere’s virtual controller capabilities.

“Atmosphere is easy to set up, is very flexible, and I can adjust it from my office if necessary,” said Fisher. “It’s safe to say that Church is very happy with the solution.”