Immerse yourself in a multi-sensory installation intertwining nature with technology

Innovative architectural team Penda are pushing the boundaries of design with their latest multi-sensory project, the Soundwave Plaza. Located in Xiangyang, China, the vast Soundwave sculpture – made up of 500purple pillars of varying heights – pay homage to the rising and falling bars on a digital sound visualiser, as well as Asia’s largest Myrtle Tree Garden, in which it sits. Alternating between being a serene walkway by day, to a booming public dance floor at night, the plaza highlights the space between the city and its landscape.

Designers Chris Precht and Dayong Sun, who founded Penda in 2013, based their Soundwave design around the quote: “Music is liquid architecture; architecture is frozen music," by German writer and politician Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, maintaining their firm belief that architecture serves as a bridge to connect nature, culture and society. "Music, rhythm and dance in combination with the surrounding landscape were the main parameters shaping The Soundwave," say the duo. "Resting on Goethe's definition, the aggregation of fins presents a solidified moment of a soundwave in motion."

With the recurring amalgamation of technology, art and installation, designers are going beyond expectation to captivate audiences. Immersive experiences such as Japanese art performance Hakanaï are continuing to intermix reality with the virtual, while exhibitions such as Tate’s Sensoriumcontinue to take art beyond tradition.