Sonic Runway is a 350-foot tunnel of illuminated arches outside City Hall on East Santa Clara Street, downtown. After dark, microphones pick up sound from the street and pulse it as a chasing wave of coloured light down the tunnel. Walking through it on a quiet evening is a small dose of magic; skateboarders and photographers turn up regularly to play with the lights.
The installation began as a temporary Burning Man piece and was made permanent in 2017. It is one of the highlights of San Jose's surprisingly strong public art programme — the city has more outdoor sculpture per capita than most American cities of its size, and Sonic Runway is the easiest example to enjoy.