Écoute voir l'eau

Since March, the cooperative labac has been exploring with local residents the place of water in our built and natural spaces in Montreux. To conclude this participatory sound mapping project, join us on Saturday, 8 November 2025 at 4pm at the Caux Palace for a guided architectural tour on the theme of water. Then, to close the project "Ecoute-voir l'eau: cartographie sonore participative" (Listen to Water: Participatory Sound Mapping) you'll experience a unique musical performance by Dragos Tara, created from the recordings gathered throughout the walks.

• Date: 8 November (4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.)
• Location: Caux Palace, 1824 Caux
• Free admission

Project Presentation

Water is far more than a simple functional resource for architecture; it profoundly shapes building cultures through its aesthetic, symbolic, environmental and practical role. Understanding this relationship allows for a better understanding of how human societies have interacted with their natural environment throughout history and how this interaction continues to evolve in contemporary architectural practices.

The project "Ecoute-voir l’eau : cartographie sonore participative" (Listen to Water: Participatory Sound Mapping) focuses on an immersive experience around water, inviting participants to (re)discover their territory through listening, observation and shared exchanges. Between March and October of this year, six free walks for adults and families were organised in various areas of the municipality of Montreux.

During these guided walks, each participant discovered the history of their region and its natural and built environment, while reflecting on current and future challenges. Using a hydrophone, they recorded the sounds of water in these areas. These recordings, captured at different times of day, will subsequently be available on the labac website.

To conclude the project, an immersive sound performance will take place at the Caux Palace on 8 November 2025, featuring the recordings and testimonies collected from the participants. This performance, preceded by a guided tour related to the theme of water, will be held in the Main Hall of the Caux Palace, renowned for its excellent acoustics. 

This project seeks to foster sharing, reflection and creativity, while nurturing curiosity about tangible and intangible heritage by highlighting the relationship between local residents and water.

Key contributors

• Carla CAUCOTTO, cultural mediator and “Ecoute voir l’eau” project coordinator
• Clotilde WUTHRICH, curator and ethnologist
• Chloé DRAGNA, sound artist, cultural mediator and librarian
• DRAGOS TARA, sound artist and musician, member of the participatory sound art collectives Les Topophoniques and Les Cartopodes

Programme

Departure of the MOB train from Montreux at 3:34 pm, arrival at Caux Palace at 3:56 pm

• 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Caux Palace guided tour
• 5:20 pm: Presentation of the project and of the collaborators
• 5:30 pm - 6:15 pm: Musical performance from Dragos Tara based on recordings made by project participants
• 6:15 pm - 8:00 pm : Reception

Departure of the MOB train from Caux to Montreux at 6:57 pm or 8:05 pm

About labac

labac is an architecture firm based in Montreux and Vevey, organised as a cooperative society. The team develops educational projects and programs around the built environment, exploring the links between territory, architecture, sustainability and society.

Through participatory and intergenerational approaches, labac strives to make buildings sensitive, alive and accessible to all.

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