The Sonic Heirloom by Map Project Office and Father
Sonic Heirloom, a groundbreaking collaboration between Map Project Office and Father, reimagines the intersection of sound, memory, and design. This speculative project explores how auditory experiences can be captured, preserved, and relived, transforming sound into a tangible medium for storytelling and connection. By integrating industrial and sound design, the initiative challenges traditional notions of memory preservation, placing sonic qualities at the core of its conceptual and material development.
At the heart of Sonic Heirloom lies a deeply considered design process rooted in extensive research and experimentation. The project is driven by the ambition to create a new archetype—an object that is both precious and unexpected. The result is a system comprising a recording puck and a playback device featuring a resonant bell. The puck, small and portable, allows users to seamlessly capture sounds in real time, encoding fleeting moments into lasting auditory memories.
Once recorded, the puck is docked into the playback device, where the stored sound is reanimated through resonance. As the bell begins to rotate, it emits a harmonious chime that interweaves with the recorded audio, producing an immersive and deeply personal soundscape. Over time, this resonance becomes intrinsically linked to the stored memory, reinforcing the emotional connection between sound and experience.
Inspired by historical objects such as bells and clocks, which have long served as vessels of meaning and timekeeping, Sonic Heirloom embodies a timeless material language. The puck, designed to resemble a coin, is a tactile and intimate object, inviting interaction and engagement. The vitrine, which houses and preserves the recorded memory, is crafted from frosted glass, a symbolic nod to the fragility and distortion of recollection.
The playback device, wrapped in leather, lightly presses against the turning bell, much like the arm of a record player, creating a resonant chime that brings the memory to life. The bell itself, cast in a traditional foundry using a mix of reused tin and copper, carries a distinct tonal signature, ensuring that each piece is as unique as the memory it holds.
For Father, an award-winning sound design studio, the project represents an opportunity to redefine the role of sound in design. Too often relegated to a secondary role behind visual elements, sound is here given prominence, celebrated for its ability to evoke emotion, enhance engagement, and strengthen recall. This collaboration with Map Project Office underscores the importance of integrating sound as a central component of experience design, offering new possibilities for creative partners and institutions seeking to harness the power of auditory storytelling.
Sonic Heirloom challenges perceptions of sound by materializing the intangible, prompting users to engage with their auditory surroundings in a more intentional way. It serves as an invitation to listen more deeply, to reflect on the personal and collective significance of sound, and to reconsider its role in shaping memory.
As an enduring artifact, it is designed to be passed down through generations, allowing new audiences to connect with and reinterpret the sonic imprints of the past. Through this exploration, the project expands the boundaries of design, positioning sound not just as a complement to the visual but as a primary and powerful medium for preserving and reliving life’s most meaningful moments.
All images courtesy of Map Project Office, shared with permission
