The Highline Project: Woodland Balcony and Catwalk.

Section 2. Context, Brief and Creative.

Welcome to Section 2 of my Module 3 Pilot Project featuring the Camden Highline.

A little less detail this week on the overall aims and process of the project as I did that last time around (check it out here).

In contrast to the first week’s pieces, this is much more simple. I’ve got 2 pieces of prototype music to listen to for two distinct, but connected sections of the Highline - the Woodland Balcony and Woodland Walkway.

Last week’s extras (Wayfinding and Gestural) were across site concept (at this point).

Just a reminder that whilst I have my lovely Focus Group, I’d love to hear thoughts from everyone. Get involved!

If you’re not part of the Focus Group, and would like to have your say, then click here.

Let’s get cracking! Make sure you read the Context copy below, so you get a feel for the music before you listen.

Section 2 - Camden Gardens.
Background and Brief.

Woodland Balcony Zone Context.

Visitors enter from the Camden Gardens balcony and are greeted with a viewing platform, inviting them to an elevated position to take in the views. This section of the Highline once served as a third platform for Camden Road station, and is therefore the widest part of the park; giving room for a lush woodland of English Oak, Rowan, Dogwood, Alder, and Scots Pine. The path weaves eastward through the woodland, with a canopy of leaves overhead and planting underneath, punctuated by seating alcoves and lookout points.

Moving east toward Camden Road, visitors are greeted by a seating area that can be used for small events, or simply for soaking up some sun, the south-facing aspect affords it sunlight year-round. The woodland behind it contains a series of purpose-built habitats for insects, birds and bats, and to the east, flexible-use space with with movable furniture, allow visitors to set up the seating as they like.

Access to this part of the Highline is through what used to be a second entrance to Camden Road station, at the crossroads of Camden Road and Royal College Street, a Grade II Listed building, which will be restored to its former glory and once again provide access to the viaduct above. A balcony overlook provides an aspect out onto the existing building facade and to the bustling intersection below, inviting passers-by up to the Highline.

Woodland Catwalk Zone Context.

This section of the Highline is characterised by three bridges. Rail gantries frame the sky, the path weaves past Network Rail structures, and the decks of the bridges have been removed, leaving broad girders which cast intriguing shadows on the streets below.

Plants have begun to grow on and through this infrastructure, which all come together to create a sense of urban exploration. The Highline will celebrate this aesthetic, leaving the bridge structures exposed and adding new planting and railway artefacts. After crossing Randolph Street bridge the woodland transitions to a new planting theme, inspired by the ancient hedgerows which cross the British countryside.

Brief.

Objective:
Compose original ambient tracks, pieces or themes inspired by the Woodland area’s natural theming. The Balcony soundscaping would align by suggesting natural habitats (insects, birds, bats) and the woodland canopy area.

In the second Catwalk area, the soundscaping would be inspired by the concept of growth around old structures, new hedgerows and light coming through old bridges.

Creative:
Integrate instrumental elements and textures evoking the unique character of woodlands

Motif Development: Attempt multi-layered interlocking pieces. Use 3-note melodies to evoke 3 bridges in Catwalk area.

Polyrhythms: Combine multiple contrasting rhythms to reflect urban exploration.

Dissonance and Resolution: Balance tension and release to enhance the serene atmosphere.

Technical:
Use layering techniques to blend different musical elements seamlessly. Dropping out various elements at various points to add space and then build of sound.

Implement dynamic range compression for consistent sound quality across various listening environments.

Theme guide.

To give you a grasp of where the music and sounds ‘live’ on-site, please refer to the diagram above.

Section 2 Woodland Balcony Theme.

This is the core theme of this section. In this short version, you hear first the polyrhythmic ‘insects’, sounds to symbolise and suggest animal life in the woodland areas (see A on the image above) These sounds have been treated so to be random, giving them a life of their own.

This is joined at the -4:20 mark by overlapping synth tones to suggest the south-facing sunlit areas. You can see the areas I’m talking about at D on the diagram above.

This continues until the -2.28 mark with a change of tone, with the main CH theme reappearing. This could be targeted at the Balacony areas themselves (see B on the image).

The main theme then ends with a layering of strings with the main ‘insect’ asset dropping off. This would allow for a fade into designed ‘silence breakouts’ for certain seated areas (see C on the diagram)

Musical resolution is achieved at the end of the piece by returning to the root chord.

Note: a reminder that sound could be zonal so different elements could be heard in different sections. The example piece included here is a ‘catch-all’ of potential sounds - imagine a mega-mix of 3 songs put together!

Section 2 Woodland Catwalk Theme.

Once again we have a rhythm which suggests both the industrial and real-life heritage of the site (trains moving, coming and going) plus the randomness and buzz of wildlife.

At -6:09 the 3 note theme (to evoke the three bridge structure) is introduced.

Different layers of tones are introduced around the -4:37 mark to match up with the layering brief, suggesting the movement of trees and giving this a stillness despite the rhythmic undercurrent.

There is a drop out to allow for space at -2:24 allowing for just the rhythm and the 3 note figure to appear. This is then joined at -1:58 by a 3-note guitar figure to complement. A sustained guitar figure - effected to come and go ‘flying insect’ like appears. This section, whilst laid back is very much designed to be the sound of the city - nature and man living together, the bucolic and industrial together.

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That’s it for this week, everyone! Please let me know what you think by filling in the form, leaving a direct message or a comment below — huge thanks for taking part.