Inside the Soundbox

Inside the Sound Box- St. Louis

Enrique de Solo

Inside the Sound Box- St. Louis

DT Instructor: Pablo Moyano DT TA:Megan Roy Spring 2012

Introduction_____Sound & Space___new instrument___making music pgs. 10-13

pg. 6 pg. 8 pg. 14

(PART 1)__Making a soundbox____Psychoacoustics/ synaesthetics____Material___ pgs. 18-21

pgs. 22-25

pg. 16

pg. 36 (PART 2)-__The Soundscape___Psychoacoustics___City____ pgs. 37-39

pgs.40-43 pg. 52

(PART 3)___Making Music in S pgs.54-57

______________Form/Precedents

pgs. 26-35

____Nature________User

pgs.44-47

pgs.48-51

St. Louis___Delmar_______Site

pgs.58-65

pgs.66-77

pg. 78 (PART 4)-_Urban soundbox___soundscape_______Program____Main Theater___Soundbox pg.84 pg.86-89 pg.90-93 pg.94-97

pgs.80-83

Sound and space

form a critical couple in our everyday environment: no sound exists outside of space, and no space is ever truly silent.

Sound and space mutually reinforce one another in our perception; the qualities of a space affect how we perceive a sound and those of a sound affect how we perceive a space. Space and Sound are inextricably linked in our experience of what it is to exist in the world.

-Ripley

A “new� musical instrument

Acoustic Mirrors- acoustic mirrors were built as early warning devices around the coasts of Great Britain, with the aim of detecting airborne invasions. These particular ones still stand in Kent, England

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Can an Architect “make music�?

City sounds

People sounds

Nature sounds

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Part I

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Making a Soundbox

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Making a soundbox The architect can make music, but must first make the instrument

A

Sound Box

is an open chamber in the body of a musical instrument which modifies the sound of the instrument, and helps transfer that sound to the surrounding air.

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Hand-held

Inhabitable

Material

+ Form

= Instrument _17_

Psychoacoustics Timbre

Psychoacoustics Is the scientific study of sound perception. More specifically, it is the branch of science that studies the psychological responses to sound- including speech and music.

Timbre In music, timbre, also known as tone color, is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments.

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sound color

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Synesthesia sound-color-feeling

Color, like sound can evoke a certain feeling. Such as this painting by Rothko. The combination of the colors orange, yellow and red give the painting a certain feeling of warmth.

Mondrian’s “Boogie Woogie” shows the appearance of colors in movement. Rythm can be not only heard, but seen as well.

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The senses are interconnected.

Here we can see how the brain can interpret auditory information visually as well as other sensory combinations _21_

Material

Making a Soundbox

Musical instruments can be made with string, wood, canvas, or brass; each material serving a specific purpose in order to manipulate sound in a certain way.

Timbre/Color wood nylon string steel string brass canvas drum steel drum

low pitch

high pitch

hot

cold

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Material

Making a Soundbox

Buildings too, function this way; transmitting sound that correlates to the materials that make them up.

Timbre/Color wood Fabric/Insulation Stone Aluminum Steel Cables

low pitch

high pitch

hot

cold

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Form

Making a Soundbox Precedents

Each musical instrument is different. The trumpet curves air through its twisted shape creating a timbre unlike any other. The drum is a musical instrument that uses its air cavity in order to vibrate heavy sounds outward.

The guitar, with its strings and wooden sound box, vibrate sound from each string into the air cavity and out again to the listener. Each building is also shaped to control and express particular sounds and style of music.

Through formal operations we can begin to understand how the shape of a space relates to the type of sound being produced.

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Form

Making a Soundbox Barbican Theatre- Caruso St. John

The concert hall in the Barbican Centre in London is a performance theater designed by Caruso St. John (2000-2001). Unlike the other case study buildings, this is an installation to an existing concrete shell. In order to control sound in the performance theater, acoustic reflectors were installed.

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Form

Making a Soundbox Viipuri Library- Alvar Aalto

The Municipal Library in Vyborg, Russia, is an internationally acclaimed design

by Alvar Aalto. The library is particularly famous for its wave-shaped ceiling in the auditorium, the shape of which, Aalto argued, was based on acoustic studies. The shape of the ceiling works best for listening to speeches.

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Form

Making a Soundbox Le Thoronet Abbey

Le Thoronet Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey that was built in the early 1200’s in Southeast France . In this early stage of architectural technology, most structures were built out of one material. In this case it not only served as the enclosure for the Cistercian monks but also as the aural reverberator. Cistercian monks were known to have made a vow of silence, so the art of hearing was an integral aspect of their faith.

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Form

Making a Soundbox Red Rocks Amphitheater

Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a rock structure near Morrison, Colorado, where concerts are given in the openair amphitheatre. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind the stage, a huge vertical rock angled outwards from stage right, several large outcrops angled outwards from stage left and a seating area for up to 9,450 people in between. The amphitheatre is owned and operated by the City and County of Denver, Colorado and is located in Red Rocks Park, part of the Denver Mountain Parks system.

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Part II

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The Soundscape

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Psychoacoustics decibels and frequency

Sound can be captured and manipulated in order to cater to the listener’s needs.

City sounds can be manipulated and formed into “background music”.

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frequency

Loudness can be understood through many examples in daily life. Humans can percieve sound as low as a whisper and as high as an airplane on the runway. Depending on what the sound is of course, humans have a distinct preference to decibel level.

higher pitch

lower pitch

120 db Airplane

decibels

A sound’s frequency or pitch can be used as a facilitator for meditation.

Studies have indicated certain frequencies that promote high levels of focus, rest, or sleep.

20 db leaves rustling

sound waves

loudness and pitch

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City

Sounds of the city

Some sounds of the city can be quite calming if heard from the right distance.

It could be the rythmic sounds coming from a highway or the deep sound of a train running on the tracks.

70 db 30 db 20 db

buzzing lights _40_

transit bridge

bus transport

100 db 90 db

20 db

highway

train

open water _41_

City

Soundscape of St. Louis

Pink Noise

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e

voices

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Nature

Sounds from nature

The sounds of nature are often used in areas of meditation for their calming effect. For some, its the wind that blows through the leaves of a tree and for others it might be the deep sound of water falling from a cliff.

90 db

30 db

light rain _44_

30 db

bird chirp

water-large body

70 db 30 db 20 db

sawgrass

wind-trees

still water _45_

Nature

Soundscape of Nature (St. Louis)

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User

Soundbox of people sounds

Without realizing it, people make up a soundscape too. The rythmic tones of people walking or the loud hum of a talking audience can alter the experience of a space.

50 db

30 db 20 db

running _48_

biking

conversation

90 db 80 db

20 db

singing

walking

crowd _49_

User

Soundscape of people

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Part III

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Making music in St. Louis

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Making Music

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...there is music in the air, music all around us; the world is full of it, and you simply take as much as you require.

-Edward Elgar (composer)

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Music

St. Louis- at the crossroads of America

St. Louis is located in the center of the country. The city has become a melting pot of different musical styles, embracing all of them. Known as one of the birthplaces of the blues and ragtime, St. Louis has still kept its musical heritage and is a musical haven for musicians across the country.

“When the earliest forms of the blues migrated north from their birthplace in Mississippi Delta, they melded with the ragtime strains popular in St. Louis at the time and the result is what’s known as the St. Louis blues.” - explore St. Louis

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Motown from Detroit

Hip Hop from New York

St. Louis Country from Tennessee

Blues from New Orleans

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The Muny

The Pageant

Vintage Vinyl

Blueberry Hill

WashU School of Music

Music

St. Louis- music venues/ music districts

Delmar loop- What makes Delmar different from other “music” districts is that its also a “shopping” district. The loop consists of 6 blocks of retail, restaurants, live music venues, and outdoor public spaces. Throughout the week, Delmar loop remains active, consistently taking in visitors of all ages.

Arch Grounds The landing

Beale on Broadway

Peabody Opera House

Firebird

Powell Hall

Fox Theatre

Sheldon Concert Hall

For this reason, musicians from all over St. Louis come here to perform along Delmar boulevard. Throughout the week, it becomes a very active public space where street performers and visitors make up the soundscape of delmar.

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Delmar Loop music venues

6 - Music Venues 2- Public Music Venues

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Cicero’s

Market Pub

Vintage Vinyl

Blueberry Hill Chuck Berry Statue

WashU School of Music

The Pageant

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Delmar Loop public attractors

Tivoli Theater

30- Restaurants 35- Retail stores 6- Bars 1- Theater 1- Hotel 1-Gym * Metro Station Bar/Restaurants Retail

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Pin-up Bowl

Moonrise Hotel

Delmar Transfer Station

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Delmar East Edge of the loop

The Loop spans from Kingsland to Des Peres.

Not much life extends past Des Peres due to the conditions of the neighborhood. The social status of the residents also changes resulting in a more barren urban fabric devoid of culture, art, and social activity.

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Proposed Site

The Delmar Loop

The edge of the loop (little to no activity)

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Delmar East Extending the loop M

465’

Site

80,000 sq ft

AY W IL

Park

RA

76,000 sq ft

276’

Site

RES

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long section

metro link

site

DELMAR AVE COMMERCIAL

Lucier Park

SIDENTIAL

e location

SCHOOL

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park

M

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cross section

delmar blvd.

site location

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metro link

Park edge Site

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Residential edge Site

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Street edge Site

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Delmar East Edge of the loop

Most activity ocurring east of Des Peres Avenue is the Metro link transfer station.

Currently, the bus stop is used primarily for job commuting. This transit stop is rarely used to transport visitors to the Delmar loop.

The Metrolink transfer station is a great opportunity to attract a heavy flow of visitors to the area if the appropriate attractor is put in place.

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What can serve as the catalyst for the expansion of Delmar East?

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Part IV

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Urban Soundbox

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Urban Soundbox

The performer & The user (visitor)

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The Urban Soundbox combines the actions of the user with the performance of the artist_ the city soundscape serves as the backdrop.

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Urban Soundbox amplifier for Delmar East extract sound from site

City sounds

mix as “background music�

Nature sounds

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People sounds

insert street performers

insert public attractors

restaurant/bars

amplify performance

retail

urban soundbox

music library

radio station

theater/amphitheater

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Site Soundscape traffic chunk

nature sounds along tracks

moving train

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residentia

al sound park sounds

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Urban Soundbox how to treat the edge

plaza/acoustic mirror

Sound buffer

metro link train

MAIN THEATER amphitheater/acoustic mirror

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Delmar avenue

M

metrolink transfer station

street performer sounbox/plaza music library/ recording studios

Retail/ Restaurant/Bar

Delmar edge

80-90 db

Park edge

20-70 db

Residential edge

40-70 db

Railway edge

30-90 db

Radio Station

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Program Urban Soundbox

Main Theater

25, 000 sq ft

Retail/Restaurants/Cafe -Retail -Bars/Restaurant

10, 000 sq ft

Music Library -Listening boxes -Recording studios

20, 000 sq ft

Radio Station

5, 000 sq ft

Public

30, 000 sq ft

-Amphitheater -Plaza/ Street Performer Space

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total sq ft.

90, 000 sq ft

STREET PERFO RMER BOX 1 RETAIL/RESTA URANT

STREET PERFO RMER BOX 2 CAFE

STREET PERFO RMER BOX 3

PLAZA/ACOU STIC MIRROR MUSIC LIBRA

RY/RECORDIN

G STUDIOS

RADIO STATIO

N

MAIN THEATER

/AMPHITHEAT

ER

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Main Theater Urban Soundbox

The main stage will be a flexible performance space. The connection between the theater and the landscape can be made direct or indirect. On ordinary days, the amphitheater can be used as a plaza where one could listen to nature’s soundscape

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THEATER

AMPHITHEATER

The theater will feature an adaptable stage that could engage an outdoor audience as well as the audience in the interior. Sounds from the exterior and sounds from the performance will blend into one aural performance

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Wyly Theater Rex/OMA

The main stage in this project was specifically designed to be a flexible performance venue that can open up to the environment.

This felxibility allows for the artist to have a free range of expression through the use of the venue.

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free-stage: stage is free of seats. the stage is almost as large as the building’s footprint.

proscenium: the audience is set to the west side and the east side of the theater is set for the stage.

thrust: stage is in the center of the audience. (like an amphitheater)

The wyly theater feautures a free-flowing stage that has the ability to open up to the exterior.

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Street Performer soundbox Urban Soundbox

concave acoustic mirror- reverberates the sound of the street performer

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sound filter- filters sound from adjacent soundscape...such as the nature soundscape

Street performers don’t all use the same instrument. A rapper will not want the same venue space as a guitarist.

Materials help define specific instruments through tone and volume. By using different matierials for each acoustic mirror, it can enhance the performance.

outdoor eating is just one example of an attractor that can unite the street performer with the city dweller.

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Swiss Sound Box Peter Zumthor

Peter Zumthor, architect and Daniel Ott, a musical composer joined forces during the Hanover exposition to create the Swiss sound box; a pavilion that combines music with architecture.

The use of wood made it possible for musicians to share the same tempo and collaborate in a new wave of freestyle music.

Swiss Sound Box by Peter Zumthor

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The musicians that interacted with the space followed this proportion and created improvisational music based on the rhythmic system. “The speculative –mathematical moment of joint sound-space proportions is doubtless present- and yet, at the same time, Ott’s concept is open to the moment, and open to the individuality of the musicians, and open to the idiom that resonates through them.”

composition by Daniel Ott The Swiss sound box is created through a sequential process. “For example, the timeline based dimension (153 exhibition days: 153 sounds; 23 exhibition weeks: 23 eruptions); or architectural numbers: twelve stacks, three courts, the number of beam layers within a stack (4,5,6,8,10,or 11), proportions of the floor plan, etc.” This means that the outer shell is mimicking the proportions created by the musical composition composed by Daniel Ott.

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Music allows the individual to experience deep and intense emotions. Sound is a 'unifying' sense —creating an immediacy of effect.

-Dr. Hugo Heyrman

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Bibliography “Barbican Concert Hall (London, UK) « Caruso St John Architects.” Caruso St John Architects. Web. 17 Dec. 2011. <http://www.carusostjohn. com/projects/barbican-concert-hall/>.

Deon, Luca, and Michael Goodward. Caruso St John: Knitting, Weaving, Wrapping, Pressing ; [Katalog Zur Ausstellung: Adam Caruso & Peter St John “knitting Weaving Wrapping Pressing” (stricken Weben Einhüllen Prägen), Architekturgalerie Luzern, 13.10. - 17.11.2002]. Basel U.a.: Birkhäuser, 2002. Print.

Grantham, Andrew. “Sound Mirrors.” Sound Mirrors. Web. <http://www.andrewgrantham.co.uk/soundmirrors/>.

Grueneisen, Peter. Soundspace: Architecture for Sound and Vision. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2003. Print.

Heyrman, Dr. Hugo. “”Art and Synesthesia: In Search of the Synesthetic Experience” by Dr. Hugo Heyrman.” “Art and Synesthesia: In Search of the Synesthetic Experience” by Dr. Hugo Heyrman. Universidad De Almeria, 25 July 2005. Web. <http://www.doctorhugo.org/synaesthesia/art/ index.html>.

Hintsanen, Paivi. “The Building:Viipuri Library.” Alvar Aalto.Viipuri Library.Viipurin Kirjasto. Alvar Aalto Foundation. Web. <http://www.alvaraalto.fi/viipuri/building.htm>.

Leeds, Joshua. “Psychoacoustics.” The Power of Sound. Sound- Remedies. Joshua Leeds, 2001. Web. <http://www.sound-remedies.com/psyc. html>. _100_

Quiros, Luis. “Achieving the Metaphysics of Architecture.” Quirpa. Web. 17 Dec. 2011. <http://www.quirpa.com/docs/achieving_the_metaphysics_of_architecture__peter_zumthor.html>.

“Red Rocks History & Geology.” Red Rocks History & Geology. Red Rocks Park. Web. <http://www.redrocksonline.com/ABOUTUS/HistoryGeology.aspx>.

Ripley, Colin, Marco Polo, and Arthur Wrigglesworth. In the Place of Sound: Architecture, Music, Acoustics. Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars Pub., 2007. Print.

Saieh, Nico. “Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre / REX | OMA.” Weblog post. ArchDaily. 13 July 2011. Web. <http://www.archdaily.com/37736/deeand-charles-wyly-theatre-rex-oma/>.

“Standing At The Crossroads: St. Louis Music History.” Explore St. Louis. 16 Aug. 2010. Web. <http://explorestlouis.com/media-page/newsreleases-newsroom/releases/at-the-crossroads-st-louis-music-history/>.

“Visit The Loop.” Visit The Loop. Delmar Loop. Web. <http://visittheloop.com/>.

Zumthor, Peter, and Plinio Bachmann. Swiss Sound Box: a Handbook for the Pavilion of the Swiss Confederation at Expo 2000 in Hanover.

Basel [Switzerland: Birkäuser, 2000. Print. _101_

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