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then, follows its own logic, and even eludes the traditional
texture of urban and contextual relationships. It becomes a
city in itself, and hence no longer needs the city.
Literature: Arnheim 1977/2009; Boullée 1987; Koolhaas 1995> closure, flowing space, plane, wallThe sense of vision dominates our perceptions of space, eas-
ily displacing the role of space acoustics for the experience
of architecture. But spatial acoustics is especially well suited
to endowing spaces with a unified and incisive character, of
connecting them to and distinguishing them from one an-
other. The most intense effects of acoustic traits in architec-
ture, meanwhile, operate at the atmospheric level, shaping
the moods of spatial situations subliminally in astonishingly
powerful and comprehensive ways.
Differently from the space of vision, which offers an
overview, the space of hearing is in many instances diffuse
and dispersed on all sides. The sense of hearing has no fixed
direction that is comparable to the axis of vision; we can hear
around corners as well. When spatial divisions are recogniz-
able, for example the origin and directionality of the sound,
or its rough distance, they are oriented in relation to our bod-
ies, and are ordered within the space of vision. Sound does
not offer a spatial sensory field that has the same precision
as the visual one, but is experienced primarily in temporal
terms. As the dynamic trace of events, a sound fades away if
it is not constantly generated anew. Moreover, tones possess
certain intrinsic qualities that allow them to become spatially
effective as well, for example the heavy, broad character of
deeper tones in contrast to the pointed sharpness of higher
ones. While a pure tone or diffuse soundscape tends to be-
come independent, some noises refer to concrete spatial traits
and objective circumstances.Slab
Sound