Birds chirping, wind moving through leaves, and water rushing over pebbles are among the many therapeutic sounds nature creates. Such sounds are among the inspirations for a group of architecture students from the Estonian Academy of Arts to create an audio installation composed of three massive wood megaphones in the woods. It’s a place where hikers can rest, contemplate, and, above all, listen to the sounds of the forest around them.

When asked what sparked the idea for the project, Hannes Praks, head of the school’s architecture department, responded, “A group of students began thinking of building a library within a forest. This idea failed for numerous reasons, but the failed attempt led to the idea of creating an architectural installation within the forest which hikers could appreciate.

Each microphone was made of larch wood.

The three megaphones were assembled off-site and then transported to a forest near Estonia’s southwest border. The team used larch wood for the structures and angled each beam to best harmonize the sounds. By stepping into the larger end of the megaphone, forest visitors can shade themselves from the elements while they appreciate the device’s acoustics and, more important, the soothing sounds of their natural surroundings.