Commissioned by NYC DOT, Silent Lightsis an art installation located beneath the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in New York that aims to reinvigorate an underused passageway by helping pedestrians visualise traffic noise as stunning light animations.

The interactive installation was designed by Urban Matter in collaboration with the Department of Transportation, and consists in a series of LED embedded gates that light up in response to the sounds from the street each time a vehicle passes through the BQE. In addition to the 2,400 LEDs, the gates are also equipped with microphones and managed via an Arduino mega micro-controller.

Similar to Dune, the project creatively connects the passerby to their urban environment, as well as bringing an element of wonder and joy in an otherwise artistically barren space.

Silent Lights went live on December 17th and will stay active for a year.