embedded sound experience |
The sounds that animate architecture, and the ways in which architecture augments those sounds, can be examined by observing the essential qualities of constructed space: material and geometry. These characteristics, plus scale and construction method, inform soundscapes that are embedded within all built environments. As an exploration of how sound is shaped by space, and experience is shaped by acoustics, I offer a series of vignettes describing three distinct sites and the way in which I perceived them to be particularly defined by the acoustical quality of the architecture. The focus is not on the behaviour of an imposed sound source or signal, but rather on the ambient conditions of inhabitation.
structure space
construction helena slosar
hearing location inhabitation
architecture as a resonating chamber Abbaye du Thoronet is a Cistercian abbey built during the twelfth century in Southern France with the unique acoustical quality of a thirteen second sound decay. 1 Time becomes elastic and, as it is stretched, encourages us to observe and contemplate our surroundings. In adherence with the austere principles of the Cistercian order, the stone structure of the main church is completely unadorned. Nothing is present that absorbs sound except the human bodies occupying the space. The vaulted structure is constructed from local limestone which provides the hard impervious surface required to produce strong sonic reflections while directly connecting the building to the landscape from which it emerges. While the monks who lived at the abbey accepted a vow of silence, they gathered daily in the church to sing in unison as a way of spiritually focusing on the sacred. Considering that the slightest movement is amplified and the smallest cough or tone escaping one’s lips is projected throughout the entire space, a slowed speed of movement is crucial in order to ensure a united result. The overlap and layering of tones produced by a single voice in this space demand careful attention to time and harmony. With the addition of multiple voices, the level of attentiveness increases, developing a dialogue between the space and the occupants. This tangible experience of acoustics is a result of the unembellished nature of the designed spaces, the materiality of the structure which effectively reflects sound, and the geometries present including the verticality of the space and vaulting of the ceiling. Even one voice in this chamber creates a shimmering, seemingly endless sonic environment, one that vibrates simultaneously through the body of the occupant and the surrounding architecture.
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1 sound decay: when the sound source stops the reflections continue, decreasing in amplitude until they can no longer be heard. It can also be referred to as reverberation time.
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