Thresholds​

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 THRESHOLDS –designed September 2017 proposed for 2021
A new temporary public sound sculpture 
for Swansea High Street


Thresholds is a temporary public sound sculpture comprising four tall triangular scaffolding structures, on which are mounted four large brightly coloured resin sound reflectors, each with an accompanying speaker. The speakers play a fun and quirky sound arrangement comprising field recordings from Swansea High Street and sounds and music made by pupils at Ysgol Crug Glas. The sound arrangement will be audible at the level of ‘background noise’, unless you walk underneath the sound reflectors, which will then focus the sound so that it is slightly louder and clearer. 
We have worked closely and carefully with engineers and scaffolders to design a scaffolding structure that is both safe and attractive, and which works in the unique space of the alleyway. The scaffolding structure will be fully clad in scaffolding boards, which will be painted bright colours. The triangular scaff towers will have in-built benches (which conceal the concrete required to weight the structure), which will also be clad in scaff boards, and then covered in ply and astroturf. Small lamps concealed within the bases of the towers will cast light upwards through the structure. Colourful abstract patterns will be applied using appropriate temporary paint to the areas underneath the dishes, drawing people into the installation. 
What the public will experience 
The sound sculpture will be a striking and colourful intervention into what is currently a little-used, grey and anonymous alleyway. We hope that it is something that will draw people to High Street: an unusual urban experience that inspires people to see, hear and think about the High Street in new ways and plays its part in the regeneration of the local area as Swansea’s creative quarter.

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