dominic wilcox's binaudios allow participants to listen to the sounds of the city

dominic wilcox’s binaudios allow participants to listen to the sounds of the city
all images courtesy dominic wilcox

british designer dominic wilcox and creative technologist james rutherford have collaborated on the creation of ‘binaudios’, a device that allows a participant to listen to city sounds from within the sage gateshead building in the UK. drawing influence from the iconic form of over-sized tourist binoculars, the large-scale device can be pointed at over 50 different locations across the tyne river, seen through the conference center’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

activated by the audience, the giant listening cones can be aimed towards various points of interest throughout the city, where voices, crowds and sounds of the sites can be heard; for example if directed at the football stadium, the participant may hear a wildly chanting crowd, or, if positioned towards the tyne bridge, they might listen to king george V’s speech when he opened the monument in 1928, and if steered toward the park, noise from skateboarders and local tennis players can be perceived.

‘as the binaudios are turned each sound merges with the sound next to it, like a DJ soundscape of previously unconnected things.’ wilcox describes ‘the train station sound fades into the sound of a street performer followed by road works then a local primary school children singing.‘ the stereo sounds move from one ear to the other creating a real feeling of listening to the city across the river.

positioned towards the tyne bridge, a participant would hear king george V’s speech when he opened the monument in 1928

activated by the audience, the giant listening cones can be aimed towards various points of interest throughout the city

the participant may hear a wildly chanting crowd from a stadium or noise from skateboarders and local tennis players

the stereo sounds move from one ear to the other creating a real feeling of listening to the city across the river

the device is situated within the sage gateshead building in the UK

overlooking the tyne river