Rousakis Plaza Echo Square

In the middle of historic Savannah, Georgia’s Rousakis Plaza is an open square with nondescript brick planters surrounding an X created by the cement pavers, and a mysterious echo created by the plaza’s unique acoustics.  

The structure of the plaza’s surrounding buildings has created an acoustic anomaly wherein the small patch of pavement fenced by the planters acts as a focused “echo chamber.” If you stand in the center of the X and speak, there is an unusual and very noticeable echo which cannot be heard by anyone immediately outside the square.

It is not clear if the plaza’s designers intentionally created this effect or if it is just a lucky byproduct of the area’s unique set-up, but given the clear X that’s built into pavement, it seems likely that the echoes are no mistake.