What the study found
The article reports that a multichannel sound installation in a Santiago water tower created a new interior space defined by sound, which the audience experienced as aural architecture. The authors describe this as a transitional space between site-specific sound and aural architecture.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that this approach animates the monumentality of the water tower and intensifies the historical significance of the site in physical, sensory, political, and social terms. They also frame the outcome as creating an affective space for aesthetic experience.
What the researchers tested
The article examines the project Polyphono, a multichannel sound installation located inside the Copa de Agua of Quinta Bella in Santiago, Chile. It explores strategies for composing aural architecture within an existing structure with distinctive form and acoustic qualities.
What worked and what didn't
The installation established a dialogue between three spaces: the invisible space of the sound work, the physical space of the water tower, and the symbolic space of experience. The article says this process produced an interior space of sound within the tower's acoustic reactions and transformed the site through performative action.
What to keep in mind
The abstract presents this as a single site-specific project, so the summary is limited to the described water tower and installation. No detailed limitations, comparison group, or broader measurement of effects is described in the available abstract.
Key points
- The study centers on Polyphono, a multichannel sound installation inside a Santiago water tower.
- The authors describe a new interior space made by sound within the existing architectural structure.
- The audience experienced the result as aural architecture.
- The project is said to intensify the site's historical significance in physical, sensory, political, and social terms.
- The abstract does not describe comparative methods or detailed limitations.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Sound installation creates an interior space within a water tower
- Authors:
- Sofía Balbontín
- Institutions:
- Universidad de las Américas
- Publication date:
- 2026-01-28
- OpenAlex record:
- View
- Image credit:
- Carlos Figueroa Rojas, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Get the weekly research newsletter
Stay current with scholarly research without reading academic papers — one filtered digest, every Friday.