Dundee – Listening to Joy by artist Yinka Ilori is an experiential, audio-first playscape at design museum V&A Dundee. Featuring colourful, interactive elements such as a maze with zippable mesh walls, the space invites visitors to adapt and change the environment.
It also offers a sound-making area, using two circular xylophones for experimentation. Sounds will be recorded, mixed and transformed into a series of musical pieces that capture the enjoyment of being in the maze. By placing a focus on sound experiences, the playscape demonstrates the ongoing importance of Connective Audio – and how aural design can bolster relationships both in person and from a distance. Ilori says: ‘Play should be collaborative, so I have created this installation for visitors of all ages to explore sounds, colours and patterns in a shared space.’
While we’ve previously explored how connective furniture can enhance intergenerational play in home environments, this project shows how similar strategies can be applied to the design of public spaces.
Strategic opportunity
Public venues from retailers to hospitality spaces should take note of this concept and design placemaking strategies with a sensorial focus. How might you integrate intergenerational play into your existing space?