PHOENIX See II – Soundscape at the Shore

About the sound

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 south western shore of the PHOENIX See. This is one of the busier areas as it is close to the cafes and restaurants. You can hear many people walk and cycle by. Some sit on large wooden platforms. Some drive by on inline skates. All of them talk and chat in various languages and laugh. In the background the sounds of water, traffic and construction are audible. Canada geese and birds were a constant companion on this field trip.

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