Customer Reviews

Architecture as a Translation of Music: (Pamphlet Architecture 16)

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As the title suggests, I was hoping for a book with a thorough symbolic analysis of the connection between architecture (the design of elements in space; or the configuration of space) and music (the design of elements in time; or the configuration of [the experience of] time). Instead, this book offers some mostly affectatious studies on obscure ideas. If your goal is to find a book which presents ideas as of how to explore the architecture+music marriage, I personally would recommend you look elsewhere.

Some of the projects are intriguing, granted, but perhaps I expected the kind of book which is yet to be written. In any event, this one was not worth the money.

I bought this Pamphlet as a complement to other anthologies of interdisciplinary theory that I have, and this one seems the most diverse by offering a wide scope of viewpoints. Although the editor Liz Martin has her own particular viewpoint and refers to the theory and practice of many different architects, musicians and artists, she always has important points to make in each case-study. In her own work, Liz analyzes the use of space and other multi-dimensional environments and structures in the visualization of sound. 'Architecture as a Translation of Music' offers a journey into a place where sound is seen and image is heard. The book is not another 'style- bible,' but a serious look at music + architecture. In this way the book provides a useful starting point for deeper inquiry into how the two disciplines can co-exist. I look forward to a more critical and detailed sequeal!!

Read simultaneously Marc Trieb's 'Space Calculated in Seconds' with Liz Martin's PA16. Both books are elegantly written and designed for those willing to delve-in and consider the possibilities.

Liz Martin has pulled together a comprehensive and informative study discussing interdisciplinary ideas about design. She has creatively written and edited a modest edition and we hope to hear more from her very soon.

I picked this book up for some fun reading two years ago, and wow! Did I get more than I expected! As an educated individual I knew a lot about the new directions in contemprary music, and I often dreamed of uniting my love for physics and architecture with my musical talents. This book is a fascinating and well designed introduction to the kind of developments in contemporary architectural/musical circles. These projects discussed in PA-16 are some of the first of their kind, and something I am excited to follow up on in my own lifetime. And it's dedicated to John Cage! I reccommend this book to anyone who is at all curious about architecture or contemporary music. It is always refreshing to learn about people who are pushing the boundaries of our imaginations, whatever the topic.

"New music will be answered by the new architecture- work we have not yet seen --only heard." (John Cage).

In the begginning i was impressed by the title but disappointed by the quality of its material besides the font is very bad and hard to read , very small sketches hard to see , and the ideas exploration is not accomplished ,so never start with this book for this subject ....

For me, this is a thoughtful 80-page booklet touching, with a big broad-brush stroke, on some very intuative and evocative ideas on interdisciplinary work framed around ideas of time and space. To expect a book in the successful Pamphlet Architecture series to be an end all exhaustive study of any given subject is like looking at Time or Granta magazines renowned fiction writings and comparing it to a 500-page Dostoevsky novel - both are equally valid views of the world, but to compare them is like comparing apples to oranges.

To cover such an intensive topic in a paperback series format with the aim of bringing interest to a subject that is not explored by many in contemporary theory; to have a current look at an age old topic for students to use as a springboard for research; and for over five years to be rated #18 on amazon.com's bestseller list is quite an accomplishment. I encourage all to keep thinking and writing - taking a chance.

Hats off to the young authors the Pamphlet Architecture series supports!

A long-awaited and well conceived series of thoughts about music and architecture. A must have in every design library.