Infrastructure vol.2

The increased traffic noise in a modern society is a very important criteria in the field of architecture today. Studies show how noise can have a very damaging affect on our wealth being. Therefore,the task for architects and engineers is most often to block the noise. I believe that architecture can truly enhance this serious problem – by embracing the noise and turning it into an experience.

This project is a continuation of a study I made on my first year at Chalmers, where I created an elevated public path at Masthugget, in Gothenburg. The path goes all the way from Masthuggskyrkan down to Masthuggskajen, working as a large scale urban connection that highlights an historical site. An important feature of the path is the presence of thresholds and how we can deliberately design thresholds to change peoples perception by isolating them, blocking or framing specific views etc.

The aim for this project is to make thresholds perform acoustically - tuned by the traffic and the weather. Masthugget is a very busy area where layers of traffic meet, creating a porridge of noise. The area between Johanneskyrkan and Amerikahuset is one of the most challenging spots of the journey as well as being the focus point of this project. There the thresholds are given a new purpose as static elements who suspend dynamic elements (in this case fabric) to filter noise and rain generating a variation of vibrations in a space. The thresholds do not work as single objects in space anymore. Instead they create a volume, a structure, of filters - allowing people to embrace the noise and the context.

Status: Academic Project
4th year, Chalmers University