SquaresRenew 16: SoundYard

SoundYard is another sculpture in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast. When you walk through it, hundreds of metal chimes are activated to create sounds reminiscent of the shipyards. It has been designed with the circular economy in mind, i.e. reuse, repurposing, and recycling. When its life as a sculpture is over the pipes will be used for playground structures or street furniture around the city. Sounds a lot like renewal and restructuring to me!
Part of Becky’s SquaresRenew Challenge, using images from our April 2024 trip to Northern Ireland to illustrate one or more of the following:
- Move forward
- Reconstruct
- Renew
- Burgeoning

Interesting that the sculpture makes a sound “reminiscent of shipyards.” I’d like to hear that! And how wonderful that when its life as a sculpture is over it will be repurposed to other uses.
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Reminiscent, yes – with a bit of imagination added in!
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I love that this sculpture already has an afterlife planned out for it. How awesome is that?!
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Yes, though I hope it can stay there for a long time.
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Now that sounds like fun!
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Yes, it was! And it was a school day so no kids to compete with us 😆.
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Hi Anabel – that must have been fun to be a part of and then listen to it … something I’d love to see … fun – and as you say ultimately useful. Cheers Hilary
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Thanks Hilary, it was a very entertaining structure.
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It would be fun to walk through and hear all the sounds created by the pipes. And I love the idea that there is already a plan in place for the future.
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Yes, there are lots of “layers” to this piece.
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Did the sounds remind you of a shipyard? I’m assuming you walked through it.
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We did walk through it several times and, yes, the sounds were quite convincing, though not so loud – fortunately!
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They have something similar though much smaller in scale at the (Glasgow ) Riverside Museum. I noticed a few new things like that since my last visit there with a spinning boulder, Mirror Wall and mini xylophone made out of tubes for the kids. Noticed them on my first visit to the Imax a couple of weeks ago. Bob. BSS.
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Hehe, this is for the big kids!
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An excellent idea all round.
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All round indeed!
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Brilliant. I’ve never come across a sculpture that is reused.
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But not for a long time I hope!
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Oh, that’s clever!
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Isn’t it just!
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This sounds (pun intended!) like great fun 😀 But while it’s a good idea to plan to repurpose the pipes, it’s a shame it isn’t to be a permanent feature.
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I suspect it is pretty much permanent. It had a huge info board and definitely looks set to stay. Possibly they anticipate it breaking some day and being removed (or possibly they just liked the circular economy theory)!
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Looks very interesting. Great pics (Suzanne)
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Thanks Suzanne!
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How marvellous. Does it make a noise in the wind, or do you have to walk through it.
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It’s all activated by movement sensors, so until you walk in nothing happens.
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Clever.
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I imagine having it to yourselves would be a bonus, I can imagine it being very noisy with a few people wandering through it together 🤭
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It was! Quite a cold, grey day so not too many people about.
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I love this, and I definitely wouldn’t be able to resist playing 😊
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We couldn’t either!
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oh isn’t this fun – so want to go and play
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We had it to ourselves!
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perfect 🙂
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Love it! I want to play!
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It was fun! Apparently there is a path through which is completely silent but we didn’t manage to find that.
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Where’s the fun in that!!!?
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in trying to find it of course!!
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🤣🌸
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This is a great series. I can see I shall have to head for Belfast when I’ve ‘done’ Glasgow.
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Well, Glasgow first, obviously. But I can highly recommend Belfast!
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👍
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was thinking the same!
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Another Bloggers’ Expedition, Becky?
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I’m up for bloggers’ expeditions!
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ooh like the sound of this . . . . 😉
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👍
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