Octave 9: Immersive Canvas for Sound and Vision Experiences

The future of music has arrived—at Seattle Symphony’s experimental performance and education space. Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center was designed as a canvas for experimentation, to elevate our sensory experience, and allow for new ways for artists and audiences to connect.

Belle & Wissell designed and engineered a generative visual engine for Octave 9 that provides a library of customizable themes. Visual effects can be used as strictly ambience, or they can respond in real-time to audio input or human movement. Artists can choose from these visual effects to create a unique experience for those visiting the space. The engine, in many ways, is another instrument to be used in their ensemble. 

The generative engine also includes a bespoke content management system that enables performance authoring (and rehearsal preview) by composers, musicians, and artists-in-residence. Visual themes can be assembled and then fine-tuned to best extend the musical vision of the artist. Each programmatic theme includes controls that allow for exponential variations and combinations. Themes respond to the organic nature of every performance, but also evolve and progress within code-based parameters.

Working in close collaboration with LMN Architects, the Seattle Symphony, and a team of project partners, the collective Octave 9 environment is an adaptable canvas for experimentation—one that responds to the variable needs of this unique venue.

A complimentary streetscape element at the visitor entrance is the Octave 9 Multiplex: a digital sign that dynamically reflects the activities happening within. The Multiplex is also centrally edited and published through the same content management system.