Sample Portfolio for Year 4, The Bartlett School of Architecture, Unit 22. Brief: Children and Architecture
‘An Urban Orchestra’.
“It is our belief that the destinies of these two peoples, Israel and Palestine, are inextricably linked ... either we all kill each other or we share what there is to share.’’ Daniel Barenboim, Conductor of West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. Qualities such as fostering dialogue and reconciliation through music were the key ingredients of inspiration extracted from the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra; the youth orchestra founded in 1998 by Barenboim and Edward Said, comprising of musicians from Israel and Arab countries. The proposal transforms the concept of an orchestra into an urban scale, where features of ‘musical play’ are implemented into the wounded landscape of the divided city of Nicosia. A buffer zone divides the island between the southern Greek and the northern illegally occupied Turkish side. This zone, also known as the ‘no –man’s land’ has been frozen in time, where abandoned buildings now lie as ruins, untouched by human activity. Due to restricted access from one side of the island to the other, sonic towers are designed and applied onto each side of the buffer zone, running along the Venetian walled city of Nicosia. These towers act as instruments within the city, where each structure represents one member of the orchestra family. Musical dialogues bring together wind, percussion, string, brass and vocal towers creating a harmonious composition across the city. Improvised and formal orchestral compositions act as tools of reconciliation for this territory in conflict. The existing sound landmarks of the church and the mosque are now accompanied by a new sonic layer, which brings elements of playful dialogues and unexpected encounters. The project targets as users the younger generation, the group of the population which is more accepting to social change and overcoming barriers. Children are invited to play upon the musical structures, learn about the history, theory and practice of music, and reproduce a musical dialogue between the two sides of the island. The geometry of each tower would allow for sound to be amplified, focused, or directed through the means of parabolas and sound mirrors, allowing for a unique way of communication between the structures. Sound research and physical testing have allowed me to discover the acoustic possibilities of convex and concave geometries and materials, where through trial and error new design possibilities were discovered. The weather becomes an extra tool of controlling the pitch and tone of the sound of each individual tower where heat, wind and water become influencing factors. One can enjoy listening from his private balcony, from a midnight stroll or a day at the market. An eventful atmosphere, similar to a carnival brings the opportunity to see the city in a new light; where one can enjoy unexpected sounds coming from both sides of the city. The project implies that non verbal communication has even greater potential than formal dialogue to dissolve barriers of social and political conflict. A special thanks to the Electrical Engineering department of UCL for allowing me to perform an acoustical test in their laboratory.