Raj Patel

Born and raised in London, England, Raj Patel is an acoustics, audio-visual, theatre and experience designer with over 30 years experience. His career developed from interests in music, technology, maths, and physics and have been applied to landmark projects around the globe in a range of sectors including performing arts, museums, galleries, entertainment, sports, education, transport, the virtual and augmented worlds. To advance the use of sound in the design process, Patel and his team pioneered tools to create accurate audio and visual renderings of 3D space (auralizations), enabling designers to see and hear buildings and multimedia installations before they are built. Artist collaborations have been presented in spaces including the Tate Modern, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Park Avenue Armory, and the British Film Institute. His projects with the artists Iain Forsythe and Jane Pollard are notable for their pioneering use of 3D sound and include Ambisymphonic Bish Bosh (with Scott Walker) (2013), Soon (2011), The Death of Bunny Munro (with Nick Cave) (2009), Radio Mania and Abandoned Work (2009), and Silent Sound (2007). Lou Reed, Metal Machine Trio: The Creation of the Universe, an 3-D installation of a live performance of Reed’s landmark 1975 album Metal Machine Music, was developed from Patel’s original concept. A strategic-thinker he assists clients in project creation where art, science, technology, and engineering merge. He leads multidisciplinary teams through project creation, planning, programming, development, design, construction, and post construction. He is currently Global Leader of Acoustics, Audio-Visual and Theatre Consulting at Arup.