''A Sound Garden'' is an outdoor

public art Public art is art in any Media (arts), media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and phy ...

work in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

, United States. It is one of six such works on the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with Weather forecasting, forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, Hydrography, charting the seas, ...

(NOAA) campus, which lies adjacent to Warren G. Magnuson Park on the northwestern shore of

Lake Washington Lake Washington () is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the largest lake in King County, Washington, King County and the second largest natural lake in the state of Washington (state), Was ...

."NOAA's Development of the Western Regional Center"
. ''

''. Retrieved October 20, 2016."Magnuson Park Features: NOAA Art Walk and ''"Sound Garden"''
. ''

Seattle Parks and Recreation Seattle Parks and Recreation (officially the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)) is the government department responsible for maintaining the parks, open spaces, and community centers of the city of Seattle, Washington. The department maint ...

''. Retrieved October 20, 2016. Designed and built by sculptor Douglas Hollis from 1982 to 1983, the sound sculpture is composed of twelve 21-foot (6.4 m) high steel tower structures, at the top of each of which hangs an organ pipe attached to a

weather vane A wind vane, weather vane, or weathercock is an instrument used for showing the direction of the wind. It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. The word ''vane'' comes from the Old English word , m ...

that produces soft-toned sounds when stirred by the wind.Seattle's ''Sound Garden'' sculpture
. ''Entertainment Weekly'' (official website). Retrieved October 26, 2021. The sculpture attracts many visitors owing to its location overlooking Lake Washington, its visual and kinetic qualities, and its being the namesake of the Seattle

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...

. It became a makeshift memorial to Soundgarden frontman

Chris Cornell Christopher John Cornell ( Boyle; July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017) was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary lyricist for the rock music, rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a ...

following his death in 2017. While open to the public along with the other artworks on NOAA's campus, access to the area has been monitored and restricted with picture identification needed to enter. As of April 8, 2025, the Sound Garden and other sculptures on the NOAA property are closed to the public. The guard at the NOAA access gate said they closed during the pandemic and have not re-opened. Cuts to federal funding for NOAA may be a factor.

References

External links

NOAA Art Walk BrochureSmithsonian Institution Research Information System: ''A Sound Garden''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sound Garden 1983 establishments in Washington (state) 1983 sculptures Outdoor sculptures in Seattle Sound sculptures Soundgarden Steel sculptures in Washington (state) Tourist attractions in Seattle Wind-activated musical instruments