•Systematic cross-cultural translation of soundscape descriptors.•Innovative use of adjusted angles ensures reliability across languages.•Identification of linguistic challenges in translating ISO ...soundscape attributes.•Robust validation methodology for quasi-circumplex structure in 18 languages.•Insights into cultural influences on perception, advancing cross-cultural sound research.
This paper presents the outcomes of the “Soundscape Attributes Translation Project” (SATP), an international initiative addressing the critical research gap in soundscape descriptors translations for cross-cultural studies. Focusing on eighteen languages – namely: Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, and Vietnamese – the study employs a four-step procedure to evaluate the reliability and cross-cultural validity of translated soundscape descriptors. The study introduces a three-tier confidence level system (Low, Medium, High) based on “adjusted angles”, which are a measure proposed to correct the soundscape circumplex model (i.e., the pleasant-eventful space proposed in the ISO 12913 series) of a given language. Results reveal that most languages successfully maintain the quasi-circumplex structure of the original soundscape model, ensuring robust cross-cultural validity. English, Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Croatian, Dutch, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish achieve a “High” confidence level. French, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, and Vietnamese demonstrate varying confidence levels, highlighting the importance of the preliminary translation. This research significantly contributes to standardized cross-cultural methodologies in soundscape perception research, emphasizing the pivotal role of adjusted angles within the soundscape circumplex model in ensuring the accuracy of dimensions (i.e., attributes) locations. The SATP initiative offers insights into the complex interplay of language and meaning in the perception of environmental sounds, opening avenues for further cross-cultural soundscape research.
•Well-chosen translations of ‘pleasant’, ‘annoying’, ‘eventful’, ‘uneventful’, and ‘monotonous’•Perception of vibrancy strongly associated with eventfulness, calmness with pleasantness, and ...chaoticity with annoyance − more suitable translations are required.
The methods for data collection and analysis in soundscape research have been standardized in the ISO/TS 12913 group of standards. The perceived quality of soundscapes is now assessed using the eight standardized soundscape attributes distributed around the circumplex model: ‘pleasant’, ‘vibrant’, ‘eventful’, ‘chaotic’, ‘annoying’, ‘monotonous’, ‘uneventful’, and ‘calm’. As a part of the Soundscape Attribute Translation Project (SATP), the objective of this research is to provide the translations of these eight attributes into Croatian language and to evaluate the validity of these translations. Based on the Croatian translations of the attributes used in previous soundscape studies and the additional optional translations provided by independent translators, the eight soundscape attributes have been translated into Croatian as ‘ugodan’, ‘uzbudljiv/živahan’, ‘sadržajan/pun događaja’, ‘kaotičan/uznemirujuć’, ‘neugodan’, ‘dosadan’, ‘besadržajan/prazan’, and ‘smirujuć’, respectively. The validity of these translations was evaluated through a listening experiment with 32 Croatian native speakers as participants, who rated the 27 sound samples that form the audio dataset of the SATP project. The data collected in the experiment was compared to the results of the study performed in the United Kingdom with English native speakers who used the standardized questionnaire in English. The results show that the Croatian translations of the fundamental, primary attributes that define the pleasantness-eventfulness plane, i.e. ‘pleasant’ − ‘annoying’ and ‘eventful’ − ‘uneventful’ are unambiguous and appropriate, as Croatian listeners understood and rated them in the same manner as their UK counterparts. On the other hand, the results reveal a very strong association of the perception of vibrancy with eventfulness, the perception of chaoticity with annoyance, and the perception of calmness with pleasantness displayed by the Croatian participants. This finding calls for a revision of the translations of the composite, secondary attributes ‘vibrant’, ‘chaotic’, and ‘calm’ respectively. The translation of the composite attribute ‘monotonous’ has been chosen well, as the results reflect its proper perception as a blend of uneventfulness and annoyance.
The urban fabric of cities is in constant flux. This paper is focused on two areas of former “Fotokemika” industrial complexes for production of photographic materials, located in Zagreb and Samobor. ...Complexes are analyzed based on previous studies, archive material and field research. The results compare their urban transformations in contemporary urban context with new uses. The aim is to detect urban, micro-urban and architectural characteristics in order to understand how they change through time within each city by comparing the initial contexts in the first half of the 20th century and contemporary situations followed in the period between 2020 and 2024.
The City of Bakar has transformed part of its waterfront which until recently was used exclusively for industrial purposes. Intervention resulted in a modernly designed public space. Although it ...seems that there are no comparable features with a developed and large city like New York, this paper will present two case studies that prove the opposite. The aim of the paper is to present the comparison and results of two waterfront brownfield transformations. The research includes methods of transforming waterfront areas in such a way that they become accessible to citizens and significantly improve the residents' life and urban space quality. The paper presents the application of certain methods during planning, designing, and landscaping, as well as the comparative results of different scales of coastal transformation.
Grad Bakar je uređenjem dijela obale kao javnog prostora na suvremen način transformirao prostor obale koji se donedavno koristio isključivo u industrijske svrhe. Iako se čini da s razvijenim i velikim gradom poput New Yorka nema usporedivih značajki, u ovome će se radu prikazati dvije studije slučaja koje dokazuju suprotno. Cilj rada je prikazati usporedbu i rezultate dviju transformacija industrijskog obalnog područja. Istraživanje obuhvaća metode transformacije obalnih prostora na način da postanu građanima dostupni i značajno utječu na poboljšanje kvalitete života stanovnika i urbanog prostora grada. U radu se prikazuju primjene određenih metoda prilikom planiranja, projektiranja i uređenja prostora, kao i usporedivi rezultati različitih mjerila transformacije obale.
(De)Linking with the Past through Memorials Zaninović, Tamara; Omićević, Nerma; Bojanić Obad Šćitaroci, Bojana
Architecture,
12/2023, Letnik:
3, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Numerous examples of urban, architectural, and landscape projects indicate global and continuous interest in memorial design without a comparative study of their contextual similarities and ...differences. There is no clear terminological and conceptual framework of how memorials are designed nor if they are perceived as diverse types of public places. This research combines multiple results of extensive and on-going research on memorials as places for people to reconnect with past events, circumstances, or persons, with the aim of building a theoretical and conceptual framework within the domain of architectural and urban design. The main question is how the design of memorials achieves remembrance as well as healing of both places and communities through conciliation, mediation, forgetting, learning, and planning new concepts for future urban development. The term (de)linking with the past is proposed for describing the importance of achieving these various memorial functions. The resulting dualistic conceptual framework of memorials includes eleven design principles based on models and methods of spatial interventions which can enable communities to move forward from traumatic events and negative emotions towards building a basis for a better future by learning from the past.
The paper examines theoretical and analytical premises for developing a systematic characterisation of spatial heritage in the urban landscape. Spatial heritage is proposed as alternative and active ...link between material and immaterial agencies in the formation of the cultural landscape over time. We probe the application of interdisciplinary research at the interface of spatial history, urban heritage, and space syntax studies to expand heritage definitions and understand the role of diachronic spatial elements in urban sustainability. With the use of space syntax analytical methods, we test quantitative descriptions of typological definition of 'gateway-pathways' in the urban landscape. The term refers to routes that historically connected peripheral settlements to the urban core of contemporary cities. The typology was developed during on-going research by the first author at the University of Zagreb as a part of Heritage Urbanism project with reference to a sample of 18 Central European cities that were formerly provincial capital cities of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. This paper looks at the city of Zagreb, Croatia and assesses its historic pathway typologies via syntactical analysis using the transect method established by Bill Hillier. Results give a quantitative validation of the spatial significance of some historical urban pathways over others.
Design of Memorials - The Art of Remembering Bojanić Obad Šćitaroci, Bojana; Zaninović, Tamara; Sargolini, Massimo
Prostor (Zagreb, Croatia),
12/2017, Letnik:
25, Številka:
2(54)
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Članak nastavlja istraživanje memorijala, prema postavljenoj tipološkoj identifikaciji iz ranijih istraživanja, u kontekstu problematike obnove razorenog mjesta. Cilj je istražiti na primjerima ...‘koncept manipulacije’ putem koreografije kretanja što postaje način stvaranja memorijala.
The paper continues on-going research of memorials by putting typological identification from previous studies into the context of post-disaster and postwar place regeneration. The aim is to explore the ‘concept of manipulation’ on case studies through choreography of motion as a design tool for memorials.
The paper continues on-going research of memorials by putting typological identification from previous studies into the context of post-disaster and postwar place regeneration. The aim is to explore ...the 'concept of manipulation' on case studies through choreography of motion as a design tool for memorials. COLLECTIVE MEMORY MEMORIALS POST-WAR PUBLIC SPACE Clanak nastavlja istrazivanje memorijala, prema postavljenoj tipoloskoj identifikaciji iz ranijih istrazivanja, u kontekstu problematike obnove razorenog mjesta. Cilj je istraziti na primjerima 'koncept manipulacije' putem koreografije kretanja sto postaje nacin stvaranja memorijala. kolektivno prisjecanje memorijali poslijeratni javni prostor