SOUNDSCAPE
A MANIFESTO of ACOUSTIC ARCHITECTURE
HAOTIAN WANG 1156700
FORWORD
CONTENT
Marshall McLuhan:
Prologue.....................................................The end of the visual world
Societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the medium by which men communicate than by the content of the communication.1
Chapter 0..............Soundscape brings solution to visual architecture Chapter 1.................................Music and Architecture are reciprocal
My Interpretation: Architecture have always been shaped more by the medium of the space by which men experience than by the building's appearance.
Chapter 2................................................... Architecture is the medium Chapter 3.......................Pursue the ultimate in Acoustic Architecture
Epilogue..................................................Our perception will be united
1 Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore, Medium is the Massage (London: Penguin Group, 1967), 8
The end of the visual world
Soundscape brings solution to visual architecture
Prologue
Chapter 0
BACKGROUND
When writing was not invented yet, ears were the dominant organ of sensory and
Over the past centuries, architecture has predominantly engaged with visualization
social orientation-'hearing was believing'. Acoustician Steven Waller finds that
on a conceptual level. McLuhan analysed that Western artists perceived their
rock paintings in the southwestern US are often where unusual echoes occur. It
1
environment primarily based on visual sense since the Renaissance. As a result,
indicates the sound was the driver for nominating a sacred space. 1
we witnessed the dominance of the vertical and the horizontal lines, symmetrical forms in the aesthetics of architectural design.
However, the phonetic alphabet forced the ear to be replaced by the neutral world of the eye. People were given an eye for an ear.2 After Modernism, the
However, The beauty of premodern auditory environments in which sound that
consideration in sound were decreased. Clarke suggests that one is due to the
had an natural connection to the building is lost. We always judge a building based
pursuit of function that often leads to architect neglecting architectural details
on looking, materials, circulation, etc. Auditory environment has rarely been more
other than form-driven functions, and the other, mentioned by Marshall McLuhan,
than a secondary aspect of a building.
is due to human nature: Sound is ephemeral. It changes or vanishes whe it is perceived making it hard to be investigated.
TOPIC Here I want to argue it: architects need to find out the connection between
It is as though the very uncontrolled sound made it ideal for contemporary
music and architecture, understand how soundscape operates within
architecture nowadays, but relying on empirical acoustic design is not enough.
environment, and pursue the ultimate in acoustic architecture, which is to
It should be understood as a spatial phenomenon. Exploring the
create atmospheres that cannot be reached by visual environment.
relationship between music and architecture will unravel the mysterious acoustic experience.
STRUCTURE 1. Reflection of our dependence on vision. 2. Introduction of the acoustic design by analysing the relationship between architecture and music. 3. Analysis about how acoustic phenomena operates within an environment and the body based on Marshall McLuhan's book 'Medium is the massage'. 4. Interpretation on the ultimate acoustic space and its application of auralized space in futural living space 5. Vision on the acoustic space and more possibilities
1 Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore, Medium is the Massage (London: Penguin Group, 1967), 12
1 David Byrne, How Music Works (San Francisco: Kirkus Media LLC, 2012), 31 2 Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore, Medium is the Massage (London: Penguin Group, 1967), 12
Music and Architecture are reciprocal Chapter 1
We start the exploration of soundscape from music and architecture, which
Atmospheric spatial phenomenon became both an ideal sound effect and a
have intertwined throughout the history of art. The connection is indistinct,
way for architects to challenge the spatial imagination beyond the limits of visual
but composers and architects have found two elements that act as an
representation skills. The design of the Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia
intermediate between both fields: mathematical proportions and the
represents the atmosphere by illustrating an intricate connection to the religious
concept of spac, which is the soundscape.
and theatrical ritual of the Christian Orthodox liturgy.1 According to the Figure 1, the design includes several acoustic strategies to engage the people in to the
In 'How Music Works', Byrne argues that rhetorical context is crucial for composing
litrugy. First, the spherical and cylindrical-shaped sections amplify and distribute
music from one of his music created for a club, because the decoration and
sound equally in the space. As a result, the performance of long, sustained notes
1
environment in the club worked coincidentally for the music. I found that the club
would cause a gradual buildup, an amplification effect from the accumulated
is not just an enclosed space. It has the proper size and material for the sound
sound as more sound energy was continually added then was absorbed. Then,
reverberation, and the volume of music could be heard over speaking. Furthermore,
the overlaying and dissolving of notes that, if sung in unison, created smoothly
he analyses the music composed in different contexts. The Western medieval
evolving chords, transitioning gradually between dissonant and consonant
music created in Churches does not have complex harmonies or subtle rhythm
harmonies.
changes, because the space of churches would cause reverberation, which could easily swallows all the subtle dynamics in the music. In constrast, he also evaluates recorded music, a type of music not purposely created for a specific space. He suggests that technology has turned the listener's body into an acoustic space, where the listener could be everywhere and experience the music like in a concert hall or a bar.2 The sound operates within a body could create more immersive experience. Overall, the classic music in church, folk music in bars ,and contemporary music with less limitation in place support the idea that the music is connected to the architecture by the concept of the soundscape. Music and architecture are reciprocal in space. Music produced in different periods stimulates various spatial characteristics, and reversely, the different spatial settings are the catalyst for the thousands of music pieces created. Based on Bryne's argument, Wiszcayk, a professor from the Schulish school of music, provides a detail example of the relationship between church and classical music in Byzantine.
Figure1
1 David Byrne, "Creation in Reverse" in How Music Works, ed. David Byrne (San Francisco: Three Rivers Press, 2017), 4 2 David Byrne, "Creation in Reverse" in How Music Works, ed. David Byrne (San Francisco: Three Rivers Press, 2017), 8-12
1 Wieslaw Woszczyk, "Acoustics of Hagia Sophia: a scientific apporach to the humanities and sacred space," in Aural Architecture in Byzantium, ed. Bissera V.Pentcheva (New York: Routledge, 2018), 176-180.
Architecture is the medium Chapter 2
Based on the connection between music and architecture, we must notice the acoustic impact on our perception, physiology, and psychology. Combining the understanding with McLuhan's famous quote: Medium is the Massage1, here I want to interpret: Soundscape in architecture is the medium that stimulate our perceptions. McLuhan stated 'Societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than by the content of the communication.'2 If we perceive the space of architecture as an instrument, we should focus WHERE it was composed and experienced.3 Xenakis is both an architect and composer, he explains the importance of WHERE by stating that space first and foremost has the task of allowing sound to be heard properly. 4 The Figure 2 illustrates his design of the performance of Terretektorh in 1965. Xenakis introduced dispersing the orchestra in the performance space in several pieces, and each group of musicians seat amongst the listeners. Coincidentally, acousticians Lothar Cremer and Hans Scharoun, in Berlin Philharmonie, arranged a performance similarly. 5 In these arrangements, the conductor stands in the middle, while the musicians and listeners all sit surround him. The performance became a multifaceted polyphony. Every sound from each musician is an independent space-time particle suffuse your ears, your body. I think that, due to the uncertainty of sound, architects tend to tame sound with bespoke spatial design. However, Xenakis explored the acoustic qualities of space by superimposing layers of sound to reach the peak of musical sophistication. I would like to call it the medium that relies on acoustics more than visual experience. Furthermore, McLuhan looked into the advantages of acoustic medium.
Figure 2 1 Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore, Medium is the Massage (London: Penguin Group, 1967), 1 2 Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore, Medium is the Massage (London: Penguin Group, 1967), 6 3 John Schaefer, Music and Architecture (New York: Celestial harmonies, 1998), 4. 4 Sven Sterken, “Music as an Art of Space. Intersections between Music and Architecture in the Work of Iannis Xenakis” in Resonance. Essays on the Intersection of Music and Architecture, ed. Michael W. Muecke and Miriam Zach (Ames: Culcidae Architectural Press, 2007), 31-61. 5 Joseph Clarke. "For a History Of Liveness." Log, no.33 (2015): 26, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43630847.
The sound is reflected through the concave ceiling, the fragmented seats, and directly through their ears. In this situation, the music embraces the audiences from all directions.
Architecture is the medium Chapter 2
Landscape [noun]
The soundscape could create a more immersive field where the landscape is not involved. I made the diagram figure 3 according to Lovell's summary of McLuhan's analysis1, landscape provides a distance between the subject and
Human
Human
Human
object, whereas the soundscape immerses people in an atmosphere. Schaefer 2
Ch oic
recorded in a church. In this example, it is not just my ear that listens to the
eo
a idu div In
provides the recording 'vibration', which is a continuous flute improvisation
f fo cu
ALL In the visible feature of an area of land, often considered in terms of their visual aesthetic appeal.
fro m ne co
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tio l
The design of the chamber prevents audiences from watching two screens
va
The Labyrinth by NFB in 1967, introduces a visual representation of soundscape.
us
er bs O
ey es
my brain. However, how could we represent the intangible sound experience?
of
l
s
music. Meanwhile, the echo suffuses my body, permeates my skin, and reaches
nt fro
at once. While the audiences watch a screen, the other keeps stimulating their perception from the sound and peripheral of vision.3 I think the screens
It provides a distance between The subject and the object.
function as acoustic tools because they are not delivering a 'montage' film to the audience, but a continuous 'morphosis' when the audiences keep moving their attention from one screen to another.
ribal l&T Ora
The Philips Pavilion by Xenakis is another example. The structure and facade
Bou nd les s
were designed according to the music proportion.4 Xenakis's interlude Concret PH was composed by the fragments of the sound of smoldering coals, which
an
produces an evocative world of constantly varying and detailed clouds of sound.
The
as
ic st
Environment
u co
A
d ive
medium
perceptions. Architecture is the medium, and medium is the massage for our body.
The
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by
humans.
acoustic
A
1 Dr Jonathan Lovell, "Acoustic Space - Examples part 2," ABPL90117, University of Melbourne, Auguest 2020, Recorded Lecture, 24:00, https://canvas.lms.unimelb.edu.au/courses/105279/pages/week-7-livenessand-acoustic-space 2 John Schaefer, Music and Architecture (New York: Celestial harmonies, 1998), 8 3 Dr Jonathan Lovell, "Acoustic Space - Examples part 2," ABPL90117, University of Melbourne, Auguest 2020, Recorded Lecture, 24:00, https://canvas.lms.unimelb.edu.au/courses/105279/pages/week-7-livenessand-acoustic-space 4 Sven Sterken, “Music as an Art of Space. Intersections between Music and Architecture in the Work of Iannis Xenakis” in Resonance. Essays on the Intersection of Music and Architecture, ed. Michael W. Muecke and Miriam Zach (Ames: Culcidae Architectural Press, 2007), 31-61.
le
Human
tion Sound d ombina c or of sounds
Soundscape [noun]
peop
environment. that
Soundscape [noun] Figure 3
immersive an form
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in
Human
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Therefore, I believe that the acoustic space could stimulate our multiple
atmosphere.
Pursue the ultimate in acoustic architecture Chapter 3
We have walked the journey of introducing the relationship between architecture and music, and analysing the soundscape in architecture that functions as the medium. However, how do we find a type of architecture, to apply the entire chaos and immersive acoustic environment upon it? How do we apply the auralization technology, to create atmospheres that cannot be reached by visual environment? The solution is what I call acoustic architecture. The 'Soundscape' comprises simulation algorithms, propagation could be applied to multiple industries. For example, Vorlander interprets the acoustic virtual reality technology is a potential megatrend that expands into the consumer market due to its ability to imitate the sounds in reality but recode and transfer the acoustic data to a signal that lasts in the head-mounted displays.1 Second application raised by Woszczyk who assures that 'soundscape' could be used to reconstruct the virtual interactive presence of Hagia Sophia in alternative spaces, for uses that are not possible within the actual structure in conservation. The figure 4 shows his process of creating the sound stimulation digitally.2 Beyond interpreting those practical application of soundscape, I want to explore more on Novak's idea of liquid architecture in cyberspace, which tries to form spaces similar to immersive acoustic space existed in the early vision of the internet.3
Figure 4 1 Michael Vorlander, Auralization (Germany: RWTH Aachen University, 2020), 2 Wieslaw Woszczyk, "Acoustics of Hagia Sophia: a scientific apporach to the humanities and sacred space," in Aural Architecture in Byzantium, ed. Bissera V.Pentcheva (New York: Routledge, 2018), 183. 3 Marcos Novak, Liquid Architectures in Cyberspace (1991), 273-283
Pursue the ultimate in acoustic architecture Chapter 3
Novak defines that 'liquid architecture...Its form depends on the interest of the beholder. ...the next space is always where the beholder needs it to be and what I need it to be.'1 I interpret that liquid architecture could be a type of architecture that flows like water and be sensitive like music. We judge liquid architecture just like how we evaluate music in a theatre. The music comprises a never repeated and continues to develop a dematerialized architecture. The idea can be visualised in his images of the cyberspace (figure 5). The spaces were generated by merging of algorithmic composition with scanned data in various position and time. The bottom image indicates that dynamically varying three-dimensional composition comprising a liquid architecture. And the number and dind of its component parts vary accoding to factors such as position, size, time and proximity to toehr component parts. It has similarities with the Phillip's pavilion becuase it push the abstraction and morphosis to the limit beyond visual space and creates a new type of acoustic space. Novak declares his futher interpretation of liquid architecture as 'archimusic'. He do not treated music and architecture as two distinct objects, but a mixture of both, where architecture represents space, and music represents time.2 The idea of 'archimusic', or spacetime, thus cannot survive without the acoustic space.
Figure 5
1 Marcos Novak, “Liquid architectures in cyberspace,” in Cyberspace: first steps, ed. Michael Benedikt (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1991), 225-254. 2 Marcos Novak, Transmitting Architecture: The Transphysical City, 1995
Our perception will be united
Reference list
Epilogue
Bibliography Here I guide you travel through the journey of acoustic architecture. From the intricate connection between architecture and music, to the soundscape as medium that stimulate human's perception, and last to the ultimate acoustic architecture existed in cyberspace. The journey reveals that acoustic space does not distinguish the interior and exterior, but it is a 'massage' that suffuses through our body. It is a spatialized arrangment that causes synaesthesia effect to us. My manifesto calls for attention to the perception of acoustic space in architectural design. However, the future application of acoustic architecture are still waiting to be explored. Where do people find their other senses are stimulated by acoustic? How to integrate the acoustic space with the visual space in virtual reality? I believe acoustic architecture could explore a different path to the immersive reality.
1. Byrne, David. "Creation in Reverse." In How Music Works, edited by David Byrne, 13-33, San Francisco: Three Rivers Press, 2017. 2. Clarke, Joseph. “For a History Of Liveness.” Log, no. 33 (2015): 25–37. http://www.jstor.org/ stable/43630847. 3. McLuhan, Marshall and Quentin Fiore. The Medium is the Massage. London: Penguin Group, 1967. 4. Lovell, Jonathan. "Acoustic Space - Examples part 2." ABPL90117, University of Melbourne, August 2020. Recorded Lecture, 24:00. https://canvas.lms.unimelb.edu.au/courses/105279/pages/week-7-liveness-andacoustic-space. 5. Novak, Marcos. "Liquid Architectures in Cyberspace." In Cyberspace: First steps, edited by Michael Benedikt, 225-254. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1991. 6. Vorlander, Michael. Auralization. Germany: RWTH Aachen University, 2020. 7. Schaefer, John. Architecture and Music. New York: Celestial harmonies, 2020. 8. Woszczyk, Wieslaw. "Acoustics of Hagia Sophia: a scientific apporach to the humanities and sacred space." In Aural Architecture in Byzantium, edited by Bissera V.Pentcheva, 176-197. New York: Routledge, 2018. 9. Sterken, Sven. “Music as an Art of Space. Intersections between Music and Architecture in the Work of Iannis Xenakis.” In Resonance. Essays on the Intersection of Music and Architecture, edited by Michael W. Muecke and Miriam Zach, 31-61. Ames: Culcidae Architectural Press, 2007. 10. Novak, Marcos). "Transmitting Architecture: The Transphysical City." 1998. https://journals.uvic.ca/index. php/ctheory/article/download/14653/5520?inline=1.
Image Source Figure 1: Cremer, Lothar and Helmut A. Muller. Relfections of rays from a concave ceiling in a large room. 2017. In Wieslaw Woszczyk. Aural Architecture in Byzantium, 182. New York: Routledge, 2018. Figure 2: Xenakis, Iannis. Terretektorh. 1965. In Sven Sterken. Resonance. Essays on the Intersection of Music and Architecture, 46. Ames: Culcidae Architectural Press, 2007. Figure 3: Haotian, Wang. The difference between human perception of landscape and soundscape. 2021. Digital drawing, 297x210mm. Figure 4: Woszczyk, Wieslaw. Drawing of measured positions (MP) and source locations (SP) used in measurements of the acoustics of Hagia Sophia. 2012. In Wieslaw Woszczyk. Aural Architecture in Byzantium, 182. New York: Routledge, 2018. Figure 5: Novak, Marcos. Liquid Architecture Series. 1991. Digital images, 297x210mm. http://www.zakros. com/liquidarchitecture/liquidarchitecture.html
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SOUNDSCAPE