On the Dutch island of Texel, ‘Torn Island’ is an exhibition space within a World War II era bunker. Part of the Aviation & War Museum Texel, Kossmann.dejong Interior Architects use 3D audio as their primary design tool to tell the story of Georgian soldiers, who five days after their bold and bloody uprising were forced to face failure in the closing days of the war. The spatial audio experience draws visitors deep into a past history that has divided the island until today.
The designers worked together with professional actors and podcast-makers to ensure the audio drama feels authentic. As visitors wander through the bunker, different dialogues between people who were in the bunker that day are hard and their dilemma laid clear. A multi-dimensional sound system with precise geo-tracking ensures visitors hear minutia down to changes in direction and volume depending on where they step.
This immersive experience, without relying on the visual, leaves visitors free to experience the most versatile of all media: their own minds. Says lead designer Michel De Vaan, ‘ When you only work with audio in such a place you really trigger people’s imagination.’
