2022 - Core Studio
Brennan Buck, Critic
Acoustician and architect J.L. Clarke cites reverberation — the tendency for sound to linger in the air after it is played — as the key factor in producing a sense of holiness and reverence in music. This project explores the auditory properties of a man-made landscape, taking inspiration from "sacred caves" sites in which the serpentine geometry of the cavern causes sound to echo in phase.
In addition to traditional enclosed concert halls and recital spaces, this project centers around cavernous corridors that serve as both spaces of circulation and informal performance spaces, creating a soundscape that flows through the building and into the surrounding landscape. Through iterative testing and research, the nooks and crannies produced by the construction process of untreated 3D-printed concrete structures were found to produce a similar acoustic effect. To achieve the intended earthen materiality, additional tests using natural pigments, sediment, coffee grounds, and concrete were conducted resulting in the final texture of the proposed walls.