Informing sound art design in public space through soundscape simulation

Urban sound management often amounts to reducing sound levels with the underlying assumption of sound/noise as a nuisance. However, a reduction in sound level does not necessarily lead to a more pleasant auditory experience, especially in urban public spaces where vibrancy can be sought after. A proactive design approach that accounts for the human experience of sound environment is needed to improve the quality of urban spaces. Recent studies in soundscape research suggest that added sound and particularly sound art installations can have a positive influence on public space evaluations. Yet, the role of added sounds in urban context remains understudied and there is no existing method to date to inform sound art composition in public space through soundscape simulation. We present here a research-creation collaboration around the design of a permanent sound installation in an urban public space in Paris: Nadine Schütz's Niches Acoustiques. We report on a series of listening tests involving High-Order Ambisonic soundscape simulations of different prototypes to inform the sound artist's composition in order to optimize the quality of public space experience in the presence of the sound installation.