Valérian FRAISSE, STMS IRCAM-CNRS-SU, France
Nadine SCHÜTZ, STMS IRCAM-CNRS-SU, France
Catherine GUASTAVINO, School of Information Studies, McGill University, Canada
Marcelo WANDERLEY, Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Canada
Nicolas MISDARIIS, STMS IRCAM-CNRS-SU, France
Noise exposure can have detrimental effects on health and quality of life, and urban sound management often relies on a reduction in sound level. However, this approach based on physical and psychoacoustic descriptors does not always correlate well with human judgments, and a focus on the perception of sound environments is needed to better evaluate and improve urban sound quality. From this perspective, the soundscape approach was recently developed as a research field and focuses on the acoustic environment as perceived or experienced by people. Specifically, recent studies suggest that added sound and particularly sound art in the public domain could have a positive influence on public space evaluations. Yet, the role of added sound in urban context remains understudied with limited literature. My doctoral research consists in planning and studying the impact of sound installations on the experience of public space users. I present here a scientific and artistic collaboration around the Niches Acoustiques project led by sound artist Nadine Schütz. The project involves the permanent integration of an artistic sound installation in an urban public space in front of Paris’s court of first instance. It aims at improving the site’s sonic identity and appeasing the auditory experience. We report here on the first phase of the project, namely listening tests involving soundscape simulations in laboratory settings. The results will inform the sound artist’s composition to maximize the installation’s beneficial effects on public space experience. In a second phase, we will conduct in-situ observations and administer questionnaires in the presence and absence of added sounds to evaluate the impact of the installation in situ.
Mots clés : sound art|public spaces|soundscape|sound installations|environmental noise
A104482VF