As part of Abwab Pavilions at Dubai Design Week 2018, Jordanian designers Basel Naouri and Hashem Joucka were invited to represent

Amman with an immersive audio-visual installation. Amman is synonymous with the Duwar, roundabout in Arabic, eight of which function as urban landmarks. Aside from its role in urban settings, Duwar is a representation of a continuous circular motion of successive events that constantly alter between chaos and order. 

Offering a glimpse into the multi-faceted city, the Amman Pavilion sourced soundscapes from various streets in the city capturing the dynamic narratives of the city’s diverse residents to communicate nuances of the city’s urban fabric.

Through the intricate use of intangible media of sound and light, photographic stills are displayed in sequence to form a circular succession of visuals transporting visitors on multiple journeys. The visuals are treated with new techniques developed by experimenting with digital fabrication, and are synchronised with layers of spatial sound to craft a unique experiential environment, heightened by the auditory sense.

Duwar featured a 16-point 360º spatial sound system that was installed in the walls of the round pavilion. The soundscapes represented eight consecutive journeys through the streets of Amman where visitors encountered traffic, conversations, movements and auditory gestures from within the city.