In Estonia, forests are considered an invaluable asset as they cover about 45% of the territory and constitute its main natural resource. This is why, some years ago, the architecture students of the Academy of Fine Arts designed and built three megaphones with essential and conical shapes and a diameter of about three meters. These were placed in the Pähni Nature Centre, a forest located on the border with Lithuania. The megaphones are entirely made of wood and were built to amplify the sounds of nature and also to be used as recreational spaces. The forest was then transformed into a place of meditation, listening, and relaxation.

These three facilities, called “ruup” in their mother tongue, offer a place for reading and resting and can be used as a potential refuge for visitors and passing hikers, but also as a place where you can take outdoor lessons, hold small events and concerts.
It is precisely this form that supports the spread of sounds: in fact, the three structures are perfectly integrated between the trees and were created to act as a sounding board for the rustle of the leaves, the chirping of birds, the natural sounds. It is a place to discover nature and experience it at its best thanks to listening to and reading the forest through sound.
The silence that surrounds the cones leads those who stop there to listen to their thoughts. A unique experience, a way to get in tune with the landscape and its “acoustic” identity, almost completely unknown to us. The pollution created by the looming noise of our cities prevents us from fully understanding the natural sound of the Earth. In this magical place, it is possible to reconnect with that music.

Text by Anna Cardaci