HSBC “A LIVING RIVER”

VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN CHINA + LONDON, UK

An interactive sound installation at Gatwick Airport that was commissioned to mark ten years of the HSBC Water Programme. The 1km experience was created using live recordings from across the 6,300km-long Yangtze River – one of five rivers in HSBC’s programme - celebrating the rich diversity of this vital waterway.

The soundscape features more than 100 hours of material, sourced directly from 35 locations, in order to capture sounds from each stage of the river, from migratory birds and frogs, to the sound of the weather or clatter of local fishing boats on the river. As you walk along the Skybridge, you walk along the full length of river - travelling from the First Bend of the Yangtze to the mouth in Shanghai. The sounds also react to the time of the day, the weather on the Yangtze, and even the movements of the travellers. The project took around 14 months to create, from initial conception to the point of going live, with 160 speakers and 80 channels of sound used in its creation.

The installation won 23 international awards and commendations including a Yellow Pencil for Brand Experience & Environments at the D&AD Awards and the Grand Prix at the EVCOM Live Awards.

Agency: J. Walter Thompson. Roles: Creative Director and Project Director.

Photography by Sam Barker