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Resounding

Trafalgar Square

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© ​Dearista Nooria Kusuma, Samia Kapadia, Lydia D.

A Research Project by

The Interactive Architecture Lab, DfPI, UCL

Screenshot 2022-09-09 202156_edited.jpg

Resounding Trafalgar Square is an interactive Augmented Reality (AR) experience accessible through a mobile app that invites users to rediscover the lost acoustic heritage of one of London’s most iconic public spaces.

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Once alive with the flutter and cooing of thousands of feral pigeons, Trafalgar Square’s soundscape dramatically changed after a 2003 law banned the feeding of birds, drastically reducing their presence. This immersive AR experience revives that forgotten layer of history by blending virtual sounds with real-time environments.

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As visitors move through designated AR zones within the square, their smartphones unlock layered audio-visual scenes that reimagine the vibrant, chaotic atmosphere of Trafalgar Square from 50 years ago, the flapping of wings, bustling crowds, and the unique human-pigeon interactions that once defined the space.

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By overlaying past soundscapes onto present-day surroundings, Resounding Trafalgar Square encourages people to reflect on how urban policies, wildlife, and collective memory shape the character of public spaces. It becomes a playful yet poignant journey through time, sound, and place.

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