‘stadsmuziek’ by akko golenbeld image © designboom

on show at ‘this way’, design academy eindhoven’s exhibition at milan design week 2011 is akko goldenbeld’s musical device ‘stadsmuziek’. a scale model of the city of eindhoven is transformed into the role of the recorder as each building, unique in size, shape and proximity to others, creates the musical score. placed on a revolving wooden cylinder, the buildings set little hammers in motion that play the keys of the piano. by turning and turning, the city makes its voice heard – from loud to soft, long to short, high-pitched to low – translating the three-dimensional reality of the city into an aural experience.

akko golenbeld: stadsmuziek overall device image © designboom

akko golenbeld: stadsmuziek detail of ‘fingers’ on keys image © designboom

akko golenbeld: stadsmuziek detail of buildings on surface image © designboom

akko golenbeld: stadsmuziek detail of barrel image © designboom

akko golenbeld: stadsmuziek detail of connections image © designboom

akko golenbeld: stadsmuziek detail of mechanisms image © designboom

video courtesy of the designer