An Innovative Approach to Shared Sound in Urban Spaces
Walking through an American city, you quickly notice the cacophony of traffic noise and the consistent playlists from storefronts, forming a complex blend of urban soundscapes. Shared sound isn’t without cost or restriction, from concert tickets to the fleeting melodies of a block party. Mariami Kurtishvili, through her thesis at Berlin‘s Universität der Künste, addresses this unshared auditory landscape.
For those interested in urban soundscapes, Cameron Roh’s humorous take on urban walking habits offers another intriguing perspective on city life.
Creating a Temporary Sonic Architecture
Under architect Gustav Düsing, Kurtishvili developed the Orchid Sound System. These stainless steel high-frequency horns attach using galvanized steel buckles, common in scaffolding, negating the need for bolts or permanent fixtures. Her project, “Sound Systems: Building Sonic Territories,” was presented as her master’s thesis, under the guidance of Düsing, Dr. Susanne Hauser, and Julian Schubert. With these innovative horns, urban sound can be shared in public spaces without altering a single fixture permanently.
The Inspiration of Epiphytic Orchids
The system draws inspiration from epiphytic orchids that grow on trees without being parasitic. Similarly, these horns borrow the height and stability of city poles, delivering sound and transforming street furniture into temporary sound stages without causing damage. Once removed, they leave no trace.
Public Sound as a Shared Experience
This project distances itself from monumentality. The horns are designed to vanish after their use, evidenced by Kurtishvili’s listening sessions in Berlin. People did not gather to admire an object. They gathered because sound had, briefly, become public property again, attached to a pole
Americans are familiar with communal sounds, from boomboxes on stoops to car stereos at cookouts. What Kurtishvili brings is a refined, non-invasive means to transform these informal gatherings into structured, temporary installations, keeping public space open yet unobtrusive.
Explore how street furniture can be transformed, much like James Reka’s vivid, abstract murals that give color and life to urban spaces across the globe.
Potential and Future of the Orchid Sound System
Whether the Orchid Sound System moves beyond the thesis phase is uncertain. Yet, its core idea—that existing urban structures can host culture without new permanent constructions—is profoundly impactful. As public spaces grow more commercial, this project presents a fleeting, impactful remedy.
The Hopeful Vision of Urban Soundscapes
The Orchid Sound System, while still a thesis project, poses an intriguing solution to commercialized public spaces. By offering a method for cities to foster culture without construction, it presents a fleeting, impactful remedy to public urban environments.
Source: yankodesign.com
Frequently asked questions
What is the Orchid Sound System?
The Orchid Sound System is a project developed under the guidance of architect Gustav Düsing. It consists of stainless steel high-frequency horns that attach to urban structures like poles without any permanent modifications. Inspired by epiphytic orchids, it transforms public spaces into temporary sound stages without leaving a trace.
How does the Orchid Sound System share sound in urban spaces?
The system uses high-frequency horns that attach temporarily to street furniture, such as poles, without causing permanent changes. This enables sound to become a shared experience in public spaces, transforming informal gatherings into structured, non-invasive installations.
What was the inspiration behind the Orchid Sound System?
The system was inspired by epiphytic orchids, which grow on trees without being parasitic. It models after these orchids by borrowing the height and stability of city poles to deliver sound and then vanishes without leaving a trace, much like the orchids.