In Shanghai, People to Pay for A Few Minutes of Quiet

Shhh...

Is the world just too noisy for you? Do you wish you could just have a few moments of peace and quiet without being disturbed by screaming children, city traffic, or a myriad of other noises that slowly strip away our sanity?

It might be possible for a price if you happen to be hanging out in Shanghai. German designer Andreas Rimkus has recently invented and pitched the idea of “silence stations” to Shanghai’s government, and is waiting for the green light to start selling tranquility on the streets.

The noise-proof capsules are capable of holding up to 15 people at once, and they would be stationed all over the city including the local pedestrian mall known for its congestion and noise. People would pay a reasonable fee to bask in several minutes of comforting silence.

An SASOS prototype

Known as Shanghai Art Stations of Silence, the whole concept of silence may be a little “unheard of” to most, but in an innovative and bustling city like Shanghai, this just may be a hit.

Designed to look like large sculptures, no two stations are shaped alike, and the buzz in China is that they are going to draw major crowds. The media is already making all sorts of noise about these special silent booths, and if things go well during their initial Shanghai run, we might start seeing them in Europe and in the United States.

Via China Daily