PHOENIX See I – Soundscape “Kulturinsel”

For more than 160 years Hörde in the suburbs of Dortmund has been a site for iron and steel production. The blast furnaces of PHOENIX OST, which had belonged to the concerns of Hoesch and Thyssen Krupp AG, were closed down in 2001. The city of Dortmund bought the area and turned the former industrial site into a recreational area. In addition to the production halls and furnaces 2,5 million cubic metres of soil and 420.000 cubic metres of ferroconcrete were removed. In 2010 a superficial lake, the PHOENIX See, has been created.
Today the area is popular among locals for walks along the promenade and visits to local restaurants that settled nearby the western shore. Companies moved their offices into the area and villas and modern apartments are built by the lake.
This recording was made at the “Kulturinsel”, a small pensinsula in the lake with a couple of benches. A monument made from a Thomas converter reminds of the lake’s industrial history. In the recording you can hear the sound of water splashing against the shore, Canada geese and birds, the laughter and chatter of a playing child and people talking. In the background there is the noise of traffic and various construction sites, where new apartments are being built.

Recordist: Jan Hökenschneider (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Dortmund)
Photographer: Kathinka Engels