My own personal experience with hearing loss has been the inspiration for this garden. I wanted to make people aware of the isolation that can result from loss of hearing and at the same time make them appreciate more their senses. ‘A Silent Cacophony’ revolves around sound and complete silence on a small imagined island of a tropical archipelago. The garden takes the shape of the inner ear where the cochlea (a spiral shaped cavity that is the auditory portion of the inner ear) is represented by a birdcage that becomes eerily silent as you step inside it. Technology is used to help achieve both sounds and silence.
The birdcage, with its spiral roof, is made out of glass and wrought iron bars coated with gold paint with a noise cancellation device inside. Palms, bamboo, ferns, grasses and various perennials such as Strelitzia reginae are used to achieve the tropical feel of this garden.
