Description: The Princeton Sound Trellis is a sound installation located in the "Medeterra Herban Garden," which is located on the corner of Witherspoon and Paul Robeson Rd. in Princeton, NJ

History: The Sound Trellis was originally conceived by composer Mary Wright and Architects James Chavel and Chloe Town (Parallel City). Mary Wright was the first sound artist in residence to present sound work in the Trellis.

This project was funded by The American Composers Forum. Additional support by Mediterra Restaurant, Halo Farm, La Jolie, The Arts Council of Princeton, and the Computer Science Department of Princeton University.

Special thanks to: Carlo Momo, Raoul Momo, Richardson Smith Architects, Ari Lazier (assistant composer and programmer), Graham Clegg, Kristin Hopkins, Jesse Pedersen, Ritu Murthy, Anne Reeves, Bob Hughes, Palmer Square Management and all of the people who assisted in the construction of this project.

Without Peter Soderman this project would not have been possible. Thank You!

Here is an excerpt of the sound in mp3 format.

Trellis: The Sound Trellis is built at the edge of a vibrant organic garden. Situated only a few feet away from a one-storey concrete parking garage at the garden's border, the installation stands in proud contrast to its immediate surroundings. As designers we were interested in enhancing one's experience of the entire site. The shape of the trellis deforms to allow people space to walk in and around it. We were also intrigued by the idea of integrating sound with architecture. Our hope is that the spatial and aural impact of the Sound Trellis extends into the garden beyond.

Rather than supporting vegetation, sound grows and emanates from the structure. From a distance the subtle beeps and buzzes that one hears can easily be confused with street sounds. As one approaches, however, the highs and lows become more distinct and defined. The form of the Sound Trellis plays off of this process of discovery. The 10' tall trellis looks relatively simple from straight-ahead yet, as soon as one moves across the site, the shimmering moire effect (produced by the slats) brings life to the structure. There is more to this bold, reddish-orange installation than first meets the eye. Move in and around the Sound Trellis and the logic of the form reveals itself.

Just as sound waves grow larger as they emanate, the two walls expand across their length. The triangular frames gradually increase in width from their point of intersection. This point is punctuated by an increase in sound. Standing there, at the center of the trellis, one realizes that the creation of space relies equally on sound and form.

About the Artists:

Parallel City is a design intensive collaboration between James Chavel and Chloe Town. With combined training in architecture, urban planning and film studies, Parallel City was founded to complement our professional work in architecture and design. Past collaborations include residential and commercial work as well as custom furniture.

Scott Smallwood is a sound artist who uses field recordings and real-world sound in the production of his work. Smallwood is currently a doctoral student in music composition at Princeton University. For more information on his work, please visit http://music.princeton.edu/~skot.