Search

It is troubling to think that Music has the potential to be so completely engaging to a vast number of people, while Architecture often struggles to achieve a similar emotional impact. The majority of inhabitants of this world depend on their visual sense to absorb information every second of their waking lives, but while many visual art forms, i.e. painting, sculptures, films, etc, can significantly impact a person’s life, Architecture is rarely counted among them. Why can’t the visual artistry of Architecture be manipulated in the same fashion as its auditory counterpart to engage an audience on a deeper level? The initial intrigue of exploring possible connections between Music and Architecture arose from the individual attractiveness of each field, but after a little research revealed that Music has the ability to act as a catalyst for Architecture, this area of discourse seemed to expand almost exponentially, which created an amazing potential for discovery. However, among the vast possibilities there was one particular answer to the reason of Music’s prowess. Music, in all its beauty, is very methodically developed. Although many may not understand the intricacies of Music, most seem to subconsciously engage the patterns developed by the auditory art form. Rhythmic drumming, catchy melodies, and beautiful harmonies constantly entrance people, and when these elements are dissected, it is easy to see that their success is dependent on geometric based organization and proportioning. This rational groundwork ensures that Music’s four elements [Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, Tone] can be systematically layered to create engaging compositions. The systematic evolution of Music and its apparent strength provides a very useful concept that can be translated into the field of Architecture. If Architecture, like Music, can follow a similar systematic evolution of forms, textures, proportions, and overall thought processes, would it not be able to achieve a deeper engagement with its audience?