Agogic Maps. A Topography of Sound Signals for Spatial Orientation and Configuration

Abstract

The concept of anthropological image, intertwined with Lynch’s fundamental elements of the image of the city are exploited in this chapter to establish an initial itinerary of locations and distances for the construction of the agogic map of Yombo Vituka. Musical notions in spectralism, psychoacoustics, and ethnomusicology all contribute here to generate a creative cognitive scenario of sound signals to foster the experimental extent of the map. Environmental, social, and spatial conditions of the place are described through a series of sounds that orientate and make these locations memorable in order to increase the accessibility and the livability of informal suburban structures. The agogic of the place is spatialized through a digital prototype (Geoscore), and its extension is outlined through a comparative table, where the sound spectrum is analyzed according to environmental, social, and time variables. The space acquires a performative scope. The project becomes a chronographic rendition of spatial transfigurations.