Cymatic Ground: Modal Analysis for Responsive Architectural Design

Cymatic Ground is an interactive sound installation by Tobias Klein and Alvaro Cassinelli. It is part of a larger artwork, The Three Gardens (三假山) project on the grounds of the Oil Street Art Space in Fortress Hill. In the form of three juxtaposed and interwoven interventions, the traditional concept of the Chinese garden is questioned and extended through the use of CNC-milled Scholar Rocks. As for Cymatic Ground, it is a hybrid, taking the form of an instrument and model at the same time - a model as it is a scale representation of the building complex that houses it - the former clubhouse of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club - an instrument, as the installation listens to, amplifies, and responds to environmental vibrations, inviting the audience to engage in a playful reflection on the spatial dynamics of the urban landscape. Modal analysis is employed iteratively to shape each plate's geometry, while intelligent sensors and actuators continuously scan, select, and amplify vibrations that sustain the formation of attractive patterns accompanied by a continuous yet transient sonic dialogue. It detours the role of modal analysis to amplify mechanical resonances, creating compelling visual sand patterns on a metallic structure representing a reclaimed urban landscape in Hong Kong.