Inclusion in museum «soundscape» design from a psycoacoustic perspective

Abstract

Soundscape is a rarely used term in museum design. However, it is key to think about a museum as a multi-sensory and immersive experience to achieve, not just increasing the potential experience of the average user, but accomplishing the inclusion of people with disabilities to the narrative of the space. The objective of this study is to identify the sound sources that exist in the soundscape of the Museo Casa Toluca 1920, a museum located in the city of Toluca, México, as well as the perception and correlation with the emotions that these sounds generate in a group of listeners with visual disability. The method was developed with a qualitative perspective, supported with a theoretical - empírical study that begins with a revision of the state of the art regarding psychoacoustics, perception and emotions,  and is completed with a sound questionnaire, in which 6 participants with visual disability performed a hearing exercise with the recordings of the sound sources identified in the museum to then link them to emotions. As a result we identify that the sounds affect either positively or negatively the experience of the visually disabled visitor’s experience in the museum. It is concluded that it is possible to base soundscape design proposals in museums considering the importance that sounds have in their relation to psychoacoustics and emotion for the construction of a holistic experience.