Proof of Sound. Acoustics as a Function of Architecture 1920–1970
Sabine von Fischer
The dissertation Hellhörige Häuser. Akustik als Funktion der Architektur, 1920–1970 (Proof of Sound. Acoustics as a Function of Architecture, 1920–1970) examines the emergence of architectural acoustics as a discrete academic discipline and the consequences of objectifying sound in architecture. It thus addresses the presence of scientific parameters in the field of architecture, by which explanatory models for describing acoustic space evolved. These have manifested themselves in the practise of building, in building regulations and in the visual representation of sound.
From the 1920s on, architectural acoustics became increasingly relevant in the design and the standards of modern architecture as an objectified parameter of space. In 1924, Franz Max Osswald established the first acoustic laboratory at E.T.H. in Zurich; after 1944, Willi Furrer continued the research. These Swiss acousticians, and scientists of the same discipline in the U.S. and in Germany, are at the center of this historical and theoretical investigation into modern expertise that caused debates within E.T.H. and beyond. The diversely situated interfaces between acoustics and architecture are framed in six chapters. Each chapter synchronically examines specific aspects of architectural acoustics. “Objectifiying”, “Disciplining”, “Broadcasting”, “Insulating”, “Standardizing” and “Visualizing” establish the hypotheses under which the topics are examined. “Objectifiying” and “Disciplining” address the scientific foundations and conditions. “Broadcasting” and “Insulating” examine applications of architectural acoustics in architecture. “Standardizing” traces the developments in noise abatement in the domains of politics and bureaucracy in the building sector. The final chapter on “Visualizing” investigates the transfer of this knowledge to expert and lay audiences. It takes on the role of synthesizing the framed hypotheses; through the problem of the visual representation of sound, the chapter recapitulates different acoustic models of space discussed in earlier chapters. Material from the archives of various architectural and acoustic institutions, from private collections as well as journals and selected literature, are examined with regard to the interface of architecture and acoustics, the formation of spatial models in modern acoustics and acoustic concepts in modern architecture.