i heard the sound of sand and stayed

I Heard the Sound of Sand and Stayed explores how spatial design can create moments of presence in an overstimulated world. Based on research on sensory experience, ritual, and the in-between, the installation invites visitors into an experience of sensory presence, slowness and embodied ritual. It is an intentional pause in the fast-paced life.

The space draws inspiration from time-based research on Japanese tea houses, architectural promenades, and sensory architecture. Important elements are light, isolation, guided movement, rituals and sensory awareness. A spiral lets the visitor shift from movement to stillness, from noise to quiet, from doing to being.

The spiral refers to ancient symbols of transformation and inward journeying. It gently choreographs the body, slowing it down. Around each curve, new sensations arise: a subtle scent, a shift in temperature, or the warm light. The gradual unfolding of experiences mirrors the way slowness reveals itself.

The project expresses the need for “Zwischenräume”, those in-between spaces, between busy and rest, public and private, mind and body. They offer potential for grounding, reflecting, and breathing.

It is a retreat, especially for neurodivergent people, who may experience sensory overwhelm. But the project is for anyone carrying tension, anyone losing touch with their senses. Sand slows movement naturally. It grounds, remembers touch, and evokes memories of play, of presence, and impermanence.

This installation offers a temporary in-between space. Located in different parts of the city, they create a moment to breathe, to be alone or with others. The choice of an empty shop as the site is on purpose. Spaces, designed for consumption, become here spaces for contemplation. This is a quiet critique of hyper-productivity by placing a non-commercial, non-productive space inside a commercial building. It is also a strategy of urban reuse, having interventions that can adapt to different cities, shops, and scales.

It asks, what happens when we slow down for a moment?