StereoTANK: Recycled Water Tanks Turned Into Giant Musical Instrument

Want to make a giant guitar? You'll need two extra large plastic water tanks, a bunch of old 5-gallon buckets, some rope, and a wooden frame to hold it all together. At least that's how architect <a href="http://www.samplert.com/" target="_blank">Marcelo Ertorteguy</a> and Sara Valente made their giant musical instrument for the <a href="http://www.zooart.it/" target="_blank">Zooart Festival</a> in Cuneo, Italy back in July. <a href="http://stereotank.carbonmade.com/" target="_blank">StereoTANK</a> is a temporary installation and inhabitable musical instrument played by plucking the taut strings and amplified by the two tanks on either end. The vibrations also triggered <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/led-lights">LED lights</a> to illuminate, adding a visual component to the sonic experience.

A group of boys playing with the StereoTANK at the ZOOart Festival.

Buckets were mounted inside the tanks and rope was strung between the two sides.

At night, as visitors played the instrument, the inside lit up.

In total 8 notes were created to act as an octave and to be able to play songs.

As both children and adults alike plucked the instrument, LED lights came on to enhance the experience visually.

The tanks acted as resonators to amplify the sound.

Visitors to the festival could step up to the instrument and pluck the ropes to make sounds and even songs.

At the end of the festival, the goal was to dismantle and reuse the giant instrument's parts so as not to waste the materials.

The tanks are slated to be used as watering troughs for animals, while the wooden frame, buckets and rope will be used to create an outdoor garden.

Ertorteguy and Valente bought two old extra large water tanks.

They cut the tops off to serve as the sides of the instrument.

Then they built a wooden frame to hold the tanks on their sides.

They used recycled shipping pallets to serve as platforms leading up to the instrument.