SoundScape analysis, Natasha Denysyuk

Miami Beach Symphony SoundScape Park is unique home for New World Center Symphony and expressive architectural landmark of Miami Beach. It was designed for the public, with integrated advantages of advanced visual and audio technologies, in order to reconcile the classical music with everyone routine. The idea of the complete openness to the public radically changes the way people experience classical music. 7000-square-foot projection Wallcast is new stage for new concept to “break down the emotional distance between performers and the public.”[1]

With varieties of the events, from Wallcast classical music concerts, band play, movies to dance music, the park has something offers for everyone’s taste. The park space suggests flexible use, where one can lay down, sit, dance, walk, eat, or dance. The people presence support more interactive way of the watching show. Unlike enclosed concert hall, here they can watch themselves watching, while socializing and relaxing. It is more private arrangement within the public, where the whole family can gather together in natural way, which gives the park the sense of community.

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[1] www.nytimes.com, by Nicolas Ouroussoff, Published Jan 23, 2011

Picture 1. The space flexibility encourages more natural people behavior

Multiple sidewalks paths, surfing throughout of the landscape, suggest the park of being the meeting place; the place of the interaction between walking people and groups. On other hand, the site location does not promote easy access for the strollers. The streets layout gives the park the feeling of the desolated island, especially in day time. The front broad Washington Avenue cut most of the public circulation from the beach side with its constant busy traffic, while The Conversional Center on the right, is a boarder of Miami depressed pedestrian circulation, spreading to the north.  From the left side quiet residential street does not redirect the Lincoln road visitors to the park, - the place is simply is no on their way. In fact, the New World Center and the park looks hidden from the active Lincolners, and rarely becomes the part of their journey. Pocked into its own lot, the park is not cross-passing area for random pedestrians; it stands on its own as a particular destination.

Picture 2. Buildings and street traffic barriers make park deserted

Picture 3. Park is hidden from pedestrians of the Lincoln Road

The landscape interpretation is an attempt to use exotic tropical foliage for creating a recreational area image with sequences of eye-catching scenes as ones would move under green bounganrillea canopies, which planned to grow wide in the next few years.  The landscape challenges to mask the equipments, like green painted sculptural spines of pipes running toward projection unit. This fairytale like atmosphere would addes some magic to the music that was stripped away by transparency of the “music making labs” of the center. Genius of design is the use of the sculptural pergolas for the vine support that, similarly to use of media tools for the music practices, integrates technology into art for the digital-age viewers. The curvy concrete benches follow the outlines of the winding paths and offer the resting stop on their way.

Picture 4. Landscape Green obstacles pose the walker

New World center and the park are closely engaged in relationship, functioning as a source and a tool. Park with its high quality media amenities serves as public generating engine for the Symphony, engaging ones into audience. They embody themselves into symbiotic self-contained device that works for popularizing the music and art. Rather than being a place of urban everyday life, it has its destination and its time. In other words, the event perception is what makes it alive.

Picture5. Architecture works as a tool for the music, art and video broadcasting

Picture6. Despite simplified exterior New World Center, the park transforms it into digital lighting landmark