Exploring sound installation reactivity: Acoustic niches in public space

While the soundscape approach gains increased research attention, it remains underexplored in urban design and sound art.Sound installations in public spaces exist within dynamic acoustic environments, where the interplay between pre-existing sounds and introduced artistic elements influences the auditory experience in complex ways.Yet, there is a lack of tools and methods to evaluate their perceptual impact and inform artistic practice.The present work is part of a research-creation collaboration on Niches Acoustiques, a permanent sound installation designed by sound artist Nadine Schtz for a public square in Paris.The installation explores the acoustic niche hypothesis by adapting its sonic content in reaction to fluctuations in the acoustic environment.We report on a laboratory study focusing on the installation's reactivity, following up an initial study that linked composition strategies to soundscape perception.Specifically, we present the implementation of variations in the installation's responsivenesssuch as amplifying, attenuating, or transforming its content -in reaction to the ambient conditions.These variations serve as a framework for evaluating the impact of reactivity across different listening scenarios.