From a ‘‘sound observatory’’ to a ‘‘sound city’’ masterplan

Abstract

‘‘Sound sculptures,’’ ‘‘sound installations,’’ and ‘‘telematic media network links’’ can be considered as observatories as soon as they look for resonances, reverberations, and other spatial qualities of the actual site and if they are composed to look for possible interaction with the ongoing stream of sounds of the real environment. Time structures of human perception and behavior help to find a basis for ‘‘sound perspectives’’ and ‘‘territorial sound fields’’ and ‘‘tidal sound spheres,’’ which can be stimulated, simulated, and modified by advanced electroacoustic networks. The ‘‘Klangturm’’ in St. Pölten, Austria and the ‘‘Adi Srvya’’ sound gallery in New Delhi, India are two house-sized musical instruments under construction; both will be opened in fall 1996. Field research of the indigenous ‘‘Santal’’ population in West Bengal, India, shows very sophisticated and complex ‘‘natural’’ sound architectures for entire towns. The acoustic tuning of the ‘‘Santal’’ villages is a basic model for an acoustic and electronic study to prepare a ‘‘sound city’’ masterplan.