By studioplusthree
studioplusthree were commissioned to design this exhibition for the Powerhouse Museum (Sydney) in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust (London), “This is a Voice” explores the qualities of the human voice- its form, weight and body. The exhibition allows visitors to contemplate the power of voice before and beyond words, and to examine the human voice in an immersive way.
Visitors can experience how the human voice locates us socially, geographically and psychologically, and learn how the voice is utterly flexible and can be altered with treatment and training. Designed as an acoustic journey, it allows visitors to delve inside vocal tracts, restless minds and speech devices to discover how meaning and emotions are conveyed through the patterns of rhythm, stress and intonation.
Originally presented at the Wellcome Trust in the UK in 2016 by Plaid Design, the exhibition features a number of contemporary artists, vocalists and installations exploring the nature of the human voice. Our scope was to develop the original Wellcome Trust concept into an approach specifically for MAAS, working with a number of Australian artists commissioned for the exhibition to develop new installations and artworks. The exhibition was additionally supplemented by the inclusion of medical, scientific and technological content from the MAAS collection and indigenous historical and contemporary cultural material.
Blending theatre, video, visuals and sound, the exhibition brings together a wide range of works by contemporary artists and vocalists, punctuated by paintings, manuscripts, medical illustrations, ethnographic objects and anthropological research.
Awards
Photography: Noel McLaghlin
studioplusthree is an award-winning architecture practice based in Sydney. We are focused on the design of bespoke residential and cultural projects, following our three core values.
Nature
Access to light, air, views and landscape are key features of our work. We value the inherent beauty of natural materials and light. We are committed to designing in a way that is sustainable, specific to place, and built to last.
Craft
We believe in the use of skill and craftmanship to make enduring buildings. We design thoughtfully and deliberately, respecting the experience and knowledge of those we work with.
We are specific about details, the qualities of materials, and how buildings are assembled.
People
At the centre of our work is how spaces feel. We aim to create something special for each of our projects that reflects who it is designed for, and the place it is in. We seek to collaborate with clients that share this ambition, working closely together to create buildings and spaces that are welcoming, generous, calm and comfortable.
The studio was established in 2014 by directors and co-founders Simon Rochowski and Julin Ang, who lead a team of skilled creative designers.
studioplusthree has been recognised in national and international awards for its work, receiving the national Houses Award for Cremorne Point Apartment, and in 2021 being nominated for the Dezeen Awards 'Emerging Architect of the Year'.
The studio has received the national Australian Interior Design Award for Installation Design, a NSW Architecture Award for Small Project Architecture, and in 2023 the studio was shortlisted the NSW Architecture Awards Emerging Architect Prize. The work of the studio has been published widely in Australian and international design media.