QUIET INTERVENTION

Designing Silence: How Intentional Sound Design Shapes Our Modern Spaces

An editorial feature by L-Acoustics exploring silence, architecture, acoustic intention and HEARTLINE, a spatial sound installation by Hannah Marshall presented at the V&A.

The article positions HEARTLINE within a wider lineage of silence and spatial listening, from John Cage and the anechoic chamber to contemporary questions around acoustic atmosphere, sonic pollution and the future of sound within built environments.

HEARTLINE was conceived as an intentional disruption of the noise and speed of modern life. Inside a hidden 33 metre gallery at the V&A, 40 participants sat back-to-back inside an 11 minute spatial composition that moved from sound into silence, culminating in a synchronised collective heartbeat at 40 beats per minute.

Unlike traditional sound art, HEARTLINE does not fill a space with music. It clears space for awareness.

“Silence, just as much as sound, is the gateway to deep listening — to truly connecting with ourselves and with others.”
Hannah Marshall, Mission Magazine

ARTICLE

Designing Silence: How Intentional Sound Design Shapes Our Modern Spaces
L-Acoustics, 2025

Read the article at L-Acoustics

PROJECT

HEARTLINE
V&A
London
2025

CREDITS

Artist: Hannah Marshall
Presented as part of V&A Friday Late
Spatial audio: L-Acoustics
Opening vocals: Kate Fleur Young
Original score: Lucinda Chua
Senior Curator of Contemporary Programmes, V&A: Kristian Vølsing