Master

Taktgefühl

Making music usually requires practice and instruments. Taktgefühl lowers that barrier: a bench in public space that turns touch into sound. A central sphere and handrails respond to the body's skin resistance, generating tones that emerge from the material itself and can be felt as vibration. The object invites anyone to make music and brings public space to life through unexpected, shared moments.

Making music usually requires practice and instruments. A sense of rhythm lowers this barrier. The project is an interactive bench for public spaces that translates touch into sound. A central sphere and three side handrails react to the body’s skin resistance: When someone touches them, they close an electrical circuit and generate sounds that emanate from the bench’s material and can be felt as vibrations. Even a single person can “play” it and find a moment of peace in the process. When several people join in, their bodies connect via the contact surfaces to form a shared sound system. The circuit can also be closed through physical contact between people: if one person reaches out to another, the signal flows through both bodies and produces sounds. The bench is constructed of larch wood and galvanized steel—durable materials that withstand the elements and blend into the familiar landscape of urban furniture. “Taktgefühl” combines two characteristics of music: its calming effect on the individual and its unifying effect among people. As a permanent piece of urban furniture, it brings this effect to places where many people come together, creating low-threshold access to making music in public spaces and an opportunity for unexpected, shared moments of connection.