BE OPEN sound portal at london design festival 2012

‘BE OPEN’ sound portal

the BE OPEN sound portal is an installation set within london’s trafalgar square which invites the public to experience design through acoustics and sound, rather than visual spectacle. a program of the 2012 london design festival (LDF), the rubberized structure plays host to finely-tuned audio technologies aimed at delivering acoustic experiences to visitors in the middle of the city’s famous landmark – one of the busiest and aurally chaotic environments in the british capital.

for the duration of LDF, the BE OPEN sound portal is hosting five participating muscians and artists: jana winderen, COH, nathaniel robin mann, jo thomas, and thom jenkinson. each one who has been specially commissioned to create a soundscape, forcing visitors to ‘switch their hearing’. a range of experiences from the sound of glaciers breaking to electronic music, cocoon visiters from the external noise and everyday bustle of the city.

BE OPEN founder elena baturina says of the initiative, ‘we’ve set up BE OPEN so that we can work with the great creative minds of today, encouraging them to continue to innovate so that they can improve on what we have and generate solutions for tomorrow’s world. the designers of the BE OPEN sound portal and those who will be creating soundscapes for it are at the cutting edge: they are the future of acoustic evolution. so a journey into the BE OPEN Sound Portal is a must for anyone interested in hearing what tomorrow will be like.’

the rubberized structure sits within one of london’s busiest landmarks, trafalgar square