Hear Here

Sometimes everyone needs to be very quiet, but there are no totally noiseless places open to easy public access.

Anechoic chambers exist, but they are allocated for research purposes only and are also of a small capacity.

The opportunity therefore presents itself to create a large space that has an extreme sound deadening capacity but can accommodate many people at once. There is the desire to share sounds in groups of people. This is one of the reasons why the combined audience attendance of a live performance is different to that of everyone wearing headphones at home in isolation. Sharing near total silence is a the logical extension to that experience.

The effect of being in an anechoic chamber is quite unique. Because all ambient and reflected sound is reduced to close to zero, internal body noises that are usually inaudible become dominant. These include breathing, the passage of food in the gut, and even heart beat/blood movement.

In a room filled with people, these will be the only sounds. ie the chaotic collective noises of human beings quietly breathing, adjusting their clothes and positions, scratching, touching their hair or faces, swallowing, sniffing, yawning, coughing sneezing. Even blinking makes a sound. Some may have internal medical devices that become audible. False teeth may be heard moving in mouths. Knee or shoulder joints can click.

Various terms and conditions for entering, remaining in place and exiting are worth considering.

I have no idea what the combined effect of many people placed together in such a room would be, but if such a space existed it would generate a totally unique experience that is the complete antithesis of the everyday assault on the senses of the noise of the outside world.