Details
‘Music is liquid architecture and architecture is frozen music’ as stated by Johana Wolfgang Ven Goethe is very true as a thought; Architecture follows the same principles as music in the visual context of composition. Just as we celebrated the World music day on the last Sunday 21.06.2020; thought of sharing about Frozen music called Architecture.
”
Dream to create, connecting dots to lines;
Brick by brick to make a beautiful shrine.
Black and whites to the colour,
Elements and components of flavour.
Texture speaks with a pleasure;
Sound of frozen art is sung with an enclosure!
Musical terms such as rhythm, texture, harmony, proportion, and articulation refer both to architecture and to music. Rhythm in music is patterns of sounds in relation to a beat; repetition of elements – openings, shapes, structural bays- establish a regular or irregular rhythm in architecture.”
”
Composition principles:
· Pattern: Pattern in the streetscape is the rhythmic effect created by the combination of alternating wall surfaces, heights, and openings in the individual building facades when viewed as a whole within the context of a defined area.
· Proportion: Building proportion is determined by examining the height to width relationships of the various components of the individual building facade.
· Rhythm: Rhythm in architecture is the repetitive use of a group of visual elements. Rhythm achieved through linear elements, alternating elements, gradation, repetition, or intricate details.
· Harmony: Harmony can be described as sameness, the belonging of one thing with another. The repetition of design elements like color, texture, shape, and form is one of the easiest ways to achieve harmony to create a composition.
· Contrast: Refers to the arrangement of opposite elements (light vs. dark colors, rough vs. smooth textures, large vs. small shapes, etc.) in a piece so as to create a complete picture.
· Balance: Balance in architecture is visual symmetry and equal elements. This building displays balance by having two equal halves displayed through each tower.
· Order: An order in architecture is a certain assemblage of parts subject to uniform established proportions, regulated by the office that each part has to perform.
· Unity: The Unity Principle of Design is commonly known as one of the more complex when the designer starts to think about sitemaps and information architecture.
· Scale: Scale relates to the overall “presence “of a building within the urban environment as determined by its relative height and width.
· Setback: Setback refers to the distance relationship between the location of a building’s wall surfaces and the adjacent property lines. The relative setback or sitting of a building upon the property is a matter for careful consideration and should respect such design elements as prevailing historic patterns within the surrounding area, pedestrian amenities, landscaping, and parking, etc.
· Skyline: Skyline refers to the silhouette created by the profile of a building(s) where the top of the structure(s) meets the sky.”
”
· Surface Articulation: Surface Articulation refers to the “Ins and Outs” or Texture of the building facade in Positive Example or Negative Example. Surface articulation can refer to large structural elements on the building face such as indented doorways, bay windows, pilaster columns, or it may encompass more subtle elements such as ornamental brick or stone detailing and textural nature of various exterior finish materials. Various architectural styles have treated the surface planes of structures in different ways. Historic architectural styles tended to favor rich surface detailing with natural materials, while modern architectural styles have favored cleaner, plainer surfaces with highly machined textures and details.
· Figure-Ground Effect: A figure is something that lies on top or in front of a background. It is the quality that gives shape to the figure on an unshaped background, and principles of orientation, contrast, size, and symmetry can sometimes help in the recognition of the figure within its background.
Besides the above composition principles of design, the following design theories also contribute to making a piece of architecture. The monotony or chaos of architecture is defined by the objective and subjective dimensions of design.”
”
· Gestalt Laws: Proximity, similarity, continuity, closure, symmetry.
· Jack Nasar principles: Familiar elements, moderate complexity, moderate discrepancy for the prototype, use of popular style.
· Gorden Cullen principles: Segments, Beginning-End, Connection, Serial vision
· Kevin Lynch: Legibility and Imageability
· Wertheimer: Law of Pragnanz (good figure or simplicity)
Below are some examples:
The visual quality of building design and construction gives an identity of an artistic city composed of the designer. The journey itself takes on the meaning and becomes an experience in its own right is called Frozen music (Architecture). Music or design best experienced with the elements in its composition. Dream, Create, and Inspire!”