Chinatown Resonance: A Vertical Legacy

Chinatown, Manhattan, NY

Year 4 studio 1 | Sep. - Dec. 2024

This project explores sound as a medium for experience, communication, and memory in public space. The project investigates how individual and collective interactions with sound can shape a spatial narrative, creating a multi-theatre duplex that blends archival, performance, and interactive listening spaces. Inspired by the historical theaters of Chinatown—which once hosted bilingual screenings and community gatherings—the design revives social and cultural events while embedding contemporary soundscapes of the neighborhood.

Key strategies include the use of directional horns, soundproof and permeable spaces, and archival pods to capture, diffuse, and transmit voices, media, and ambient sounds. The project creates layered experiences where residents and visitors can hear, perform, and engage with both historical and contemporary acoustic memory, forming a living, collaborative urban soundtrack.