In the last few days there has been a lot of hype over the Internet about this beautiful project called Morske Orgulje (Sea Organ), an architectonic musical instrument built in Zadar, Croatia, and created for playing sound as it is triggered by sea waves that arrive at the coast.
One can think the sea sound it is already a wonderful and rich sonic ecosystem, which is true. However, it is also curious to see how man’s appropriation of the territory from a sonic perspective, affects not only the space as such but also the mental feeling towards it. In this case, the sonic meeting point is a 70-meter space, divided in 10 sections of 5 tubes, tuned into specific musical notes. When the water strikes the system underwater, the tubes are activated, emitting chords and melodies as natural forces act. Below is an actual recording of the it:
In addition to being an interesting musical and architectural project, this sonic construction, developed by architect Nikola Basic in 2005, also has interesting repercussion in the urban and cultural development of the city, exposing the sonic element as a way of attracting the people to the environment and creating awareness towards it. That becomes even more significant if we consider the fact of the city being devastated by World War II. So, architectural constructions like this one, work not only as a way of reconstructing the city in a material sense, but also as a way of letting people to reengage with their surroundings, their history and their heritage.
There is a lot of videos in YouTube which feature the organ. Also, for more detailed information, you can visit East Centric Arch and Odd Music.
Also, to know about more sonic wonders from all over the world, don’t forget to visit Trevor Cox blog.
