Analysis Introduction
The questions I proposed in my introduction were:
“How and why, and vice versa, musicians have a relationship with architecture?”
“If the building has been inspired by music, is it also a musical building”
“If it is not how have they used it as inspiration within the building’s design?”
After carrying out research into a number of related areas and developing my case studies to assist the investigation into the question of musics influence on architecture and vice versa the following summaries my findings.
Composers
My in depth research into John Cage and Iannis Xenakis found that composers do take influences from architecture. Xenakis stated that he felt a 'connection' between music and architecture and that he was drawn to music. His statement 'the effect of the chosen architectural form has an almost tactile influence on the quality of the music or spectacle performed in it' [Xenakis and Kanach, 2008, p.261] when discussing his own building 'The Diatope', is evidence of Xenakis' research into both subjects of music and architecture, has a strong influence on the design of the architecture so that it suits the needs of the music. Prior to this he used the 'modular' (a scale of proportions) in his architectural buildings and later used it in his musical compositions. This "created a close structural link between time and sound" [Xenakis and Kanach, 2008, p.46]. Xenakis and Le Corbusier had found a measurement form, which could be used in both music and architecture which could be used.
To Xenakis, music and architecture are 100% interrelated and creating music that is experimental and new, a trait which all architects aim to achieve, inspires Cage.
Similar to Frank Ghery’s style of creating unusal buildings, John Cage liked to create music that was equally out of the ordinary. A small example is that of Cage using household appliances and the audience itself as his music. He state's that 'the music I prefer, even to my own or anybody else's, is what we are hearing if we are just quiet' [Griffiths, 1981, p28]. Cage uses his surroundings to create the music, therefore the architecture is the music as the physics of the building and its interaction with its contents creates and/or is deliberately used to create the music.
The above evidence shows that both composers were strongly influenced by and used their surroundings and architecture to create, as well as play, their music.
This being the case composers, and therefore musicians playing their music, do have a relationship with architecture.
The evidence suggests that the relationship between composers, music and architecture is a strong one.
It also suggests that the influence direction in this case is that composers are influenced by architecture and that composers have influenced architectural design. Influence is bi-directional.
Architects
I have investigated a number of important architects in my research including Daniel Libeskind, Peter Zumthor, Frank Gehry and Steven Holl to name a few. Each has their own statement style and openly express where they take their inspiration from. Daniel Libeskind states that whilst designing the Jewish Museum he took inspiration from the Opera Moses and Aron. He also claims that he represented spacing in the score with the voids of space in the building. In this case music influences the architect. He refers to the Opera as "music which poses an architectural dimension" [Papadakis, A. (1991), p25]. This is evidence of Libeskind openly admitting his design relationship with music and vice versa.
Frank Gehry also clearly positions his own relationship with music and its influence on him and his designs, describing how when he listens to music he listens 'to its structure' to understand the story it is trying to tell. Gehry then uses this influence in his building design. Jeremy Gilbert-Rolfe compares Gehry's design style to a similar one of composers "I find in it what I find in Pollock, or Beethoven, where everything is also all there from the first sight or sound. There's no preparatory phase that gets you ready for something elaborate, it's already very elaborate." [Gilbert-Rolfe and Gehry, 2013,p.24]. Peter Zumthor states in the book, Sound of Atmosphere, "Interiors are like large instruments, collecting sound, amplifying it, transmitting it elsewhere" [Zumthor P, 2006, p29]. The book explains his passion for the importance of sound in a building and how the materials used to design the building which can affect it.
The architect statements above are just a few key pieces of evidence to show how architects think about what they are designing and how music influences them, sometimes in a quite contrived and deliberate way.
The evidence shows that not all buildings need to be musical to have a musical inspiration; however, architects do use music as a strong design feature and for their inspiration. Architects have used a range of musical sources such as scores, rhythm, technical aspects of music and instruments themselves to inspire their design work.
The influence of architects on music is limited with the exception of the acoustic properties of their buildings; this is discussed more below in my “Technical” summary. One exception to this is that of the building creating a “mood” which in turn has an effect on the listener’s perception of the musical experience. This is perception rather than science, but good design will take this into account as it is the users experience and perception that is important in a building designed for music. Arguably, music is completely about perception, as with most art forms.
But, the influence of music on architects can be profound in that it is inspirational, meditative and therefore assists the design process. Additionally, related music elements such as the use of spacing by Libeskind can directly influence a buildings form.
Thus, the evidence suggests that the relationship between architects and music is a strong one.
The direction of influence in this case is that Architects are heavily influenced by music.
Musical Influences
My research suggests that that Creative people seek musical influences, whether it be through design, architecture or even physics. Zaha Hadid designed the Temporary Concert Hall for the Manchester International Festival to enhance the music and to cocoon the performer and audience in the space. The fabric design is such that it stretches around the space and has an enhancing effect on the acoustics and creates a visual response to the Harmonies in Bach's music. Likewise with the artist Jax de Leon, whose work is influenced by music and uses it as a means of inspiration by deconstructing it and considering how one can use it as a design influence. "Music is a powerful, emotional medium that is much more difficult to quantify than, say, financial data or earthquake patterns" [http://jaxdeleon.com/introduction accessed 29th Jan 2015].
Composers took it upon themselves to create a 'graphical' version of their scores, which allowed the musicians to interpret the music however they saw fit. Xenakis did this, but he also used instruments as architectural design inspiration linking the panes of glass in the 'Undulating Glass Panes' project (with Le Corbusier) to the layout of an accordion.
The above information is evidence that music can be and is used as a strong means of creative inspiration. Architects definitely use music as a way of designing, whether the building is for a musical purpose or not. Music is researched and utilised through visual, technical and fluidity (of the look of the building) inspiration.
The direction of influence in this case is that music is a strong influence on architecture and that architects will use it as much as they feel fit to create a building.
Architectural Influences
As I have previously stated, the Undulating Glass Panes project by Xenakis and Le Corbusier has musical influences incorporated into the design. However, the architectural design influences provide a feeling of rhythm in the space "the result is the added dimension of rhythm in architectural space." [Xenakis and Knach, 2008, p XVII]. Another of Xenakis' projects The Diatope, was designed to have an influence on the music "the effect of the chosen architectural form has an almost tactile influence on the quality of the music or spectacle performed in it" [Xenakis and Kanach, 2008, p.261]. He has purposely designed the space so that it affected the sound of the music produced within it. A perfect example of architectural influences impacting the music produced in that space. Jean Nouvel designed the Philharmonie De Paris so that it would change people's participation and interaction with orchestral music, making music accessible through its location and educational facilities. Likewise with Frank Gehry's Disney Concert Hall, his aim was to create a space to help the audience feel like they were seeing the music through the space. "Music is time experienced through and in time - as architecture is space experienced as itself reformed" [Gilbert-Rolfe and Gehry, 2013a, p. 96].
The quotes provided are evidence that architects have taken into consideration the effects the design of the space can have on the music. However I have not found any strong evidence to show that architecture has an influence on the musical composition itself as opposed to the acoustic impact on the music when being performed in the space. For clarity, this analysis is concerned with the influence on music composition.
The strength of the evidence provided is quite low in terms of architectural influence on music (the composition rather than the physics), but if a building has a musical purpose the evidence of architects researching music to influence the design is high.
Overall, there is some architectural influence on music but this is generally limited to the acoustic properties of the building. Thus the influence low.
Technical
The technical aspects of building design on for premises where music is played or recorded has a high impact on the interior space design. The Royal Festival Hall in London had a lot of thought put into its interior design and especially regarding its acoustic treatments, achieving the required level of “sound control/management.”. I have found that architects will take into consideration the acoustical treatments needed before commencing design in order to work out what to treatments and materials to incorporate and how.
The BBC Radio 1 studios at the BBC on Regents Street has had a lot of acoustic design work implemented to manage sound resulting in the studios being made as "independent floating box constructions on isolation mounts" [Hutchins, 1978, p. 80] as concrete was too heavy a material to use and affected the sound. The windows to the Live Lounge are designed to insulate the sound, but did pose issues when designing. Architectural acoustic treatments focus on utilising geometrical acoustics and on analysing how the sound waves interact "reflecting and absorbing surfaces of various shapes and dimensions" [Hutchins, 1978, p80], thus controlling the sound in the space. Reverberation is a significant technical detail that affects the design of a space. Reverberation, simply put, is the reflection of sounds and as such the size of the space has a large impact on the duration of sound in the room. By “managing sound” I mean that architectural and interior devices are used to manage the level of reverberation.
Overall, the technical aspects, the physics of sound and its influence is significant when considering architectures influence on music. The building design and materials can greatly enhance or destroy the music played in it. The evidence suggests that the same is true on the design of a building; although more so from the perspective of compromising the internal design, and particular in the buildings use of materials to manage/control the physics of sound.
Thus, the influence of the technical aspects of sound properties needed has a clear impact on building design and interior design in particular. And again, the building has a clear and distinct impact on the listener’s perception of the music but not a direct impact on the composition. But, the building design IS clearly impacted by the type of music to be played in it. Sometimes in a fixed way such as a church or opera concert hall, or in a flexible way such as a studio where the interior may be changed to suit the type of music being played at any given moment.
Overall, strength of music’s influence on architecture is high when related to buildings with a defined musical purpose.
