Composing with acoustic niches: A laboratory soundscape evaluation of sound installation reactivity

Sound installations can shape the soundscape of public spaces. However, few studies have examined their impact on perceptual evaluations, especially in relation to the pre-existing sound environment. We report on an exploratory study investigating the effect of sound installations on soundscape evaluation, specifically manipulating compositional and acoustic reactivity in laboratory settings. This research is part of a research-creation collaboration around Nadine Schütz's Niches Acoustiques-a new permanent installation for a public square in Paris. Participants familiar with the public space (N = 37) evaluated soundscapes combining High-Order Ambisonics field recordings with simulations of the installation with different forms of reactivity, along different time contexts and associated space uses-amplifying, attenuating, or transforming its content in relation to the pre-existing sound environment. Results show that time context strongly modulates soundscape impact of scenario-specific compositions changing according to daytimes and weekdays. There is greater potential for improving soundscape's pleasantness and variety in quieter, less unpleasant settings, highlighting the difficulty of enhancing pleasantness in unpleasant, traffic-dominated soundscapes. Moreover, acoustic reactivity can modulate these effects in relation to context: results suggest that following spectrotemporal trends might be more effective in noisy contexts, while occupying spectrotemporal niches might suit calmer ones. Together, these findings reveal how installation reactivity can meaningfully shape public spaces' soundscapes.