AN INSTALLATION THAT’S MAKING A LOT OF NOISE: EXPERIENCE THE ARIANEGROUP–DEVIALET IMMERSIVE CUBE AT LA SAMARITAINE

Following on from its official inauguration at Expo Dubai in October 2021, the “immersive sound cube” designed by ArianeGroup and specialist acoustic engineering company Devialet will be open for visits at the La Samaritaine department store in Paris until 14 February. Members of the public will be able to experience the awe-inspiring sound of an Ariane 5 taking off.

Nearly 150 years after it first opened in 1870, the famous Parisian Art Nouveau/Art Déco department store, a monument to 20th century commercial prowess, is today housing an installation devised by two other major industrial players: ArianeGroup and Devialet.

Our pictures give a glimpse of an event – a mix of science and urban heritage – that is literally taking people out of this world.

A large box structure, placed at the centre of the building’s airy glass atrium, sits in a sumptuous decor flooded by daylight from above and warmed by the naturally bright glass elements that grace the façade. This cube with its muted atmosphere is a cleverly-conceived tribute to space, its dazzling stars and prevalent silence. A stunning contrast: from light to complete darkness; from hustle and bustle to serene calm. Or so it seems…

Because once inside the cube the visitor is treated to nothing less than an incredible acoustic feat: an unforgettable spectacle of sound and light, a sound odyssey into space. The idea of the cube sprang from the conviction that “everyone should have the chance to experience the fantastic impact of a rocket launch first-hand at least once in their life”.

And now you can. Captured in this innovative capsule is “the loudest sound ever produced by humans”: an actual Ariane 5 lifting off from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana in 2019. The sounds, the physical sensations, the sheer jaw-dropping grandeur – the cube provides an authentic real-time experience which will stay in the visitors’ minds for ever.

The 360-degree total immersion audio cube with its eight Phantom 1 speakers has been designed to make the senses tingle as never before, transporting visitors right into a tropical forest environment and then throughout the take-off itself. The Devialet–ArianeGroup experience is guaranteed to thrill the senses and set hearts racing.

This breath-taking experience is available at La Samaritaine until 14 February 2022. The astonishing sound cube will then travel to Germany and to the United Kingdom. Don’t miss it!