inside and an outside. This physical movement immediately occurs at the level of the ear – without closure, the ear radically permits the intrusion of the exterior onto the interior of the body, … In this way, it immediately crosses a number of boundaries, of the object itself, of given spatial separations between rooms or related divisions, and finally, of the separation between object (source) and subject (ear).” 2 Thus, sound can be seen to have material properties. Much like the need to remove dust and dirt from our physical environment, as a society we are inclined to control sound. In effect, sound is more easily fed to the population in a pure state, removing many of its qualities for the purpose of providing information, security or pleasure.
In J.G. Ballard’s fictional story ‘Sound Sweep’, 3 when a building becomes saturated with sound, overpowering its occupants, it must be decontaminated. The sound sweep uses a device called the Sonovac to cleanse floors, walls and ceilings. Overwhelming noise then makes way for the pleasant experience generated by a new form of ultrasonic music (which cannot be heard). As technology and digitised sound overpower conventional sound in Ballard’s story, ultrasonic music points to the reduction of sound to a purer, more absolute form – pleasure. Sound is no longer experienced. It has become like a material – something which can be potentially cleansed and erased completely. Hence, the shaping of this material as architecture and the transmission of selected sounds is an inherently strategic process. Sound leaks are accidental intrusions to this strategic filtering process. They interact with built form, causing new encounters between differing environments. As with pre-industrial London, the regular throng could suddenly be interrupted, causing any multitude of occurrences or encounters. “On any given day, in a given place, at a given hour, people might or might or might not behave precisely according to habit. Early modern London was not a sociologist`s grid but a range of possible paths the inhabitants might take throughout the day. ” 4 The accidental intrusion of sound is fundamental to the process of city-making. These sensitive arrangements of close-range activity allow commonalities of sound to develop. They are embedded within the fabric of our cities, morphed by material effects. Over time, the canvas of sound evolves producing unexpected results. Sound is spatial, yet our aim is often to exclude it, risking the loss of such productive encounters. I for one, look forward to the occasion of the next sound leak. j
1 Bruce R Smith, The Acoustic World of Early Modern England , first edition. University Of Chicago Press, 1999 2 Brandon LaBelle , ‘Other Acoustics’ from Oase: Immersed, Sound & Architecture , No 78. 2009 3 J G Ballard, ‘The Sound-Sweep’ [1960], in The Complete Short Stories . London: Flamingo, 2001 4 Ibid, Smith
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facing page: covered marketplaces in London amplified the sound of activity within, radiating into neighbouring areas. this page: old and new – highly-reflective, insulated glazing isolates new buildings, preventing sound leaks from once commonly-heard soundmarks.
will craig
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