Sounds of the city

Paris – Visitors can explore some of Europe’s most famous destinations through sound thanks to innovative maps from advertising agency RosaPark.

• Each map has more than 1,000 sounds embedded within it
• Passers-by can plug in their headphone jacks to immerse themselves in sound

The campaign was devised for high-speed train operator Thalys as a way to encourage people to travel to its European destinations. Idle passengers or passing tourists can plug their headphone jacks into the interactive maps and feel connected to the city in a more visceral way. Sound producers working with RosaPark captured thousands of ‘identities’ across Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, from passing trains to food markets, cafés and skateparks, creating a unique map for each.

The Big Picture: In our visually stimulated world, people are reconnecting with senses through sounds and smells. The importance of crafting a sonic identity is explained in our Soundscapes macrotrend.