Projects

Goldrauschen

Max Kullmann

Abstract

Goldrauschen is a promise: real water brought indoors to enhance acoustic atmospheres. As a fluid, as droplets, as bubbles – water becomes a vivid sonic presence. Goldrauschen soothes, masks disruptive noise, and refreshes the soundscape. A future label for acoustically enhanced indoor fountains.

Description

This project began as an artistic installation exploring the acoustic potential of water sounds in indoor spaces. Through a series of experiments, I discovered a particularly harmonious combination: the interplay of flowing water with bubbling or gurgling air in water. This combination can create a unique “sweet spot” that makes a room feel fresh, sparkling, and calming. From this artistic research, I developed a mobile indoor fountain designed to improve acoustic environments in open-plan offices, health practices, and both private and public spaces.

The fountain acts as a conditioning element within the room’s soundscape, masking unwanted noise with a soothing and adjustable water sound. Over time, the project evolved into a modular, app-controlled system. The small fountains are now mobile and can be networked together via digital interfaces, integrating seamlessly into smart home or building control systems.

This connectivity forms part of a broader concept: the Natural Noise Network (NNN) – an artistic and technological vision for a distributed soundscape of real, physical noise that reimagines how rooms can communicate through water and sound.

In the development phase, I experimented with various nozzles, diffusers, sprinklers, and air bubblers—each producing its own unique sound signature. This led to a series of modular components that can be combined to suit individual preferences. The fountain’s physical design is also adaptable: it can be made from ceramic, cast concrete, tiles, or via 3D printing. Users have fine control over water pressure, bubbling intensity, flow sounds, and lighting.

What began as a sound-art experiment has now become a flexible product concept: a customizable acoustic tool that combines sensory design, technology, and architecture to enhance well-being through sound.