Anoushka Kolatkar: Architectural Design 1
Our prompt was to design a music pavilion where people could come and listen to our assigned artist's music. My artist was Selena Quintanilla, a popular Tejano singer. During this project, I explored the different elements in her music, and tried to create a pavilion in which people could experience her work in full.
Music Investigation
To start exploring Selena's work, I listened to a lot of her music. I started with a playlist that had all her songs in it, then narrowed it down to the ones I felt embodied her style the best. I found a site where I wanted to put the music pavilion. My site is on Las Coloradas, a collection of man-made lakes in Yucatán, Mexico. After that, I created a wordcloud with words that I associated with her music. Then, I took these words and created an abstract 3D model to represent what I heard.
|
In my music model, I used different materials to represent different elements of Selena's songs. The percussion sounds were represented by the wood pieces on the ground, the chipboard and museum board were the different instruments, and the metal was her voice. The components are all unique, but still come together well to create an intricate piece of music. The model can be read like a timeline of her songs. It begins at the top with percussion, then other elements start to come into play. Everything weaves together and her voice floats on top of it all as everything builds, then the music mellows out after the climax and returns to percussion at the end of her song. |
Word Diagrams and Parti
After finishing the music model, I selected 3 architectural words that best described Selena's music. These words were meant to represent how her music would translate into building elements. The 3 words I chose were continuous, overlap, and twist. Continuous is something that doesn't have a beginning or an ending and flows cohesively. Selena's music flows very well from beginning to end, and there aren't really points where sections of the songs feel disconnected or separate. Overlap was shown in how all different pieces weave and twist together, while still remaining distinguishable elements. The different musical instruments in Selena's songs are all unique and can be separated out, but they still come together to form amazing sounds. Twist is how Selena's voice and her songs overall have a 3D, curvature-like sound to them.
After I picked out my three words, I used paraline drawing techniques to construct the diagrams. I used a 30-60 degree triangle to get the right angle, then used a French curve tool to create all the curves in the drawings. Since this was done on vellum, I was able to choose whether to color on the front or the back to produce different values and add depth.
After I picked out my three words, I used paraline drawing techniques to construct the diagrams. I used a 30-60 degree triangle to get the right angle, then used a French curve tool to create all the curves in the drawings. Since this was done on vellum, I was able to choose whether to color on the front or the back to produce different values and add depth.
Using my 3 architectural words, I then created a parti diagram, or a basic building idea, for the music pavilion. This diagram describe a building with 2 levels. There are two ramps leading to each level, which when looked at from a top view form an infinity sign. There are loops over the tops of each building, but other than that the ceilings are open to the surrounding environment.
Music Pavilion
Using my parti diagram, I developed 3 concept designs for the music pavilion. While listening to Selena's music, I took all the research that I'd done so far and used it to create these designs. I started with bubble diagrams for each concept to map out how I wanted to divide spaces up. After that, I used conceptual sketches to figure out how the spaces would be formed with different elements. Finally, I constructed study models using my sketches to show my ideas in 3D.
Concept 01: For this design, I tried to get multiple levels into it. The two main building elements are overlapping, just like how Selena's music does. Visitors would start at the musical experience and feel how the music builds up and swells. Then, they can step into a quiet memorial area where they can take a moment to remember Selena. Finally, they're led into an immersive concert room to experience Selena's music in full again.
Concept 02: For this design, I focused more on how the music itself is structured. Visitors walk up the ramps into the first building, which is an immersive video concept area. Then, they take a ramped, twisting pathway up to the second level. This pathway is where the music is really broken down, starting at just percussion and slowly building back up as visitors walk to the upper level. This level has the music swell fully again, and is a biography of Selena. They can also go into the open-air memorial area, which will be a quiet space to remember Selena.
Concept 03: For this design, I explored the continuous pathways idea a little more. The building is mainly constructed of one big curving wall, then several looping and lined ceiling elements. Visitors have several paths they can take through this building, and can have a continuous experience through it. The music will break down and build back up during the music experience, but is playing in full throughout almost the entire rest of the building. The memorial area will be a quiet space and will be an enclosed area, while the rest of the building will have an open floor plan.
Concept 01
|
Concept 02
|
Concept 03
|
For my final pavilion design, I combined ideas from my 2nd and 3rd concept designs. I liked how the second concept design explored how the music itself broke down into different elements, and how the ramp area looked almost like a skeleton with the insides being exposed. I also liked the continuous infinity idea from my third concept design, and tried to incorporate that as well. My final pavilion design uses the infinity ramp to show how although Selena is no longer with us, her music is still prevalent to this day. The ramp going to the second level exposes the inner workings of the music, which is inside its skeletal boundary.
When a visitor comes to this pavilion, they walk up the ramps into the first area. They can take one of two pathways onto the video infinity ramp, which plays different videos of Selena. From the ramps, they can take stairs down to the floor of the building to watch an immersive video concert. The visitor can then go from the ground in the sound experience. This experience will start off with taking everything away from the music but percussion. As they walk from the first level to the second, each element of the music is added back and layered, so by the time they reach the top, Selena's songs are playing in full again. The ramp is made of glass, so visitors can see the colorful lakes while they listen to the breakdown of Selena's music. On the second level, there is a biography area where visitors can learn more about Selena's life, family, and her path to fame. Finally, visitors can step onto the open-air, glass balcony to have a moment of silence for this amazing singer.