Klangkörper
This project involved 6 months of sound exploration at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele in Berlin.
During this time, the sound space was explored and, from this exploration, a five-minute sound piece was created.
What does the building sound like, and what makes the architecture resonate?
With this approach, Klangkörper (Sound Body) intervenes in this historic theatre and with material consisting of field recordings, abstract sound studies and on-site interviews, it is constituted as a sound composition.
Context
The building, built in 1963, has a cubic form and is embedded in the beautiful Fasanenplatz. It is hidden among trees and benches in a park-like setting.
Its architecture is characterised by a subtle interplay of volumes, from a foyer with open glass surfaces to closed corridors of exposed concrete. On the warm-toned main stage, enclosed in wood, an impressive metal curtain opens and closes the performances.
The materiality, volume and dimensions of this curtain make it resonate very uniquely with the acoustics of the stage.
Composition
Different sound sources were used for the composition. The windows of the main facade were used as membranes. Through transducers and loudspeakers, vibrations were transmitted into the building. Lastly, impulse response measurements were made on the main stage. Thus, on the basis of these elements, an almost 7-minute composition was made, representing the Haus der Beliner Festspiele as a single instrument.
The composition Klangkörper was exhibited within the programme "Höre deine Stadt” (Listen to your City) between 31 October and 27 November 2012. It was exhibited in the haus der berliner festspiele itself, allowing the work to be heard in the very place where it was created.
In addition, this work was presented at the "Ars Electronica" festival in the city of Linz, Austria.
