Designing Sound Installations in Public Spaces

Abstract

We present an interdisciplinary collaboration focusing on the two-way interactions between researchers, sound artists, and the city through an iterative process of design, deployment, and evaluation of four different sound installations over two years in a new public square. We first illustrate how the creative process of the sound artists was informed by systematic observations of public space engagement. Through questionnaires and sound level measurements, the research team identified patterns of use and main activities conducted in the square in the absence and presence of the sound installations. These results informed the compositional process of sound installations that “resonate” with the desired ambiances throughout the day. We then report on the evaluation of these installations: the analysis of questionnaires revealed that the experience on the public square was enhanced in the presence of all four sound installations. These results highlight the potential of research creation collaborations to shape urban soundscape.