Music and Architecture: Notes on Experiencing the Convergence of Music and the Built Environment

Abstract

This project is an investigation into the present and possible convergence that occurs between architecture and music. Music moves us, brings us to an ethereal world that is captured in our memories. It construes a space that is embedded in people’s consciousness and becomes a haven from the troubles outside of it. Its form is the expression of an idea, born through the manipulations of its composer. This phenomenon of constructed space is a connecting aspect between music and architecture. While architecture and music are different in materiality, they both define a type of space and are organized and structured accordingly. The focus of this project is to use music as a catalyst for architectural design by proposing a framework for the implementation of musical principles in the process of design. This is explored in three sequential levels of investigation: historical and musical research, proposition of compositional tools, and a building representation illustrating the proposed synthesis. The first level of research delves into musical and spatial theory, existing architectural discourse on the topic, and case studies of architectural works. These are documented with the purpose of deconstructing music and deriving elements of composition to apply into architecture. The second level of investigation develops a design methodology proposal that includes the elements of composition; it proposes additional compositional tools for the transposition of music into design. The third level of investigation is to use these composition tools to design a residential building that is generated through a specific music composition. The project emulates musical structure and composition through spatial manipulation and geometric form. It illustrates a representation of musical movement in order to extract some of the affect that occurs in the realm of sound. This investigation aspires not to be a purely mathematical translation from a musical piece into architecture, but an implementation of an underlying structure that guides the constructs of music. It explores the ethereal and evanescent value of music through composition strategies. The act of applying music into architecture provides opportunities to craft fuller and more exuberant spaces.