Music & Architecture: 
The Fusion Space
 Saba Carmel Meidany

This document is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree: Master of 
Architecture (Professional) at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannes-
 burg, South Africa, in the year 2008
 DECLARATION:
 I, Saba Carmel Meidany (student no. 0201440F), am a student registered for 
the course Master of Architecture (Professional) in the year 2008. I hereby 
declare the following:
 I am aware that plagiarism (the use of someone else?s work without permis-
 sion and/or without acknowledging the original sources) is wrong. I confirm 
that the work submitted for assessment for the above course is my own un-
 aided work except where I have stated explicitly otherwise. I have followed the 
required conventions in referencing thoughts, ideas and, visual materials of 
others. For this purpose, I have referred to the Graduate School of Engineer-
 ing and the Built Environment style guide. I understand the University of the 
Witwatersrand may take disciplinary action against me if there is a belief that 
this is not my unaided work or that I have failed to acknowledge the source of 
the ideas or words in my own work.
 Illustrations and photographs are by the author (Saba C Meidany) unless oth-
 erwise stated.
 Signed:
?For all those who stood up and were counted
 For all those for whom money was no motive
 For all those for whom music was a message
 I want to thank you
 For making me
 A little more sure
 A little more wise
 And courageous
 You told me to look much further
 You told me to walk much more
 You told me that music matters
 And to chase the dogs back from my door?
 (Faithless 2006)
Acknowledgements:
 Thank you Mom and Dad for everything.
 Thank you Lenka for the support and encouragement.
 Thank you Leon Krige for your mentorship, friendship and understanding - you 
are one of the greatest teachers I have had. Thank you for the drive to make 
me want to accomplish more.
 Thank you Lone Poulsen for all the valuable insight. Your practical point of 
view made me see things differently and question everything.
 Thank you Melinda Silverman- you are like a mother to all post-graduate archi-
 tecture students. You have inspired me by your kindness and open-minded-
 ness.
 Thank you Randy Bird for the wisdom and friendship throughout the year. I 
hope you enjoyed your first year at Wits and I hope you implement the changes 
that we need!
 Thank you to the friends and colleagues who have kept me company and toler-
 ated me in studio this year. Thank you Michael Brown, Evangelia Hadjimichael, 
Marco Corazza, Thomas Chapman, Tahirah Toffah, Ahaka Tseki, and Francis 
Kununka.
 Thank you Donald Changwa, Eugene Cloete and Dwanye Chinner for all your 
last minute help and assistance
 Thank you to all who have been part of my research specially Orlando Govo 
and Emmanuell Prinsloo.
 Thank you Ton for all the online advice and for help in getting me through the 
year.
 Thank you Parastu and Shamim for putting up with me throughout my studies.
Fusion Space I (SCM 2008)
 _2
?Design is a heterogeneous process - approaches, strategies and methodolo-
 gies are often influenced by the designer?s own experiences and socio-cultural 
background, as well as technical and economic conditions.? (Bielefeld 2008: 
7)
 This thesis will explore and apply a certain path of research that was used to 
connect Architecture to Music in order to inform the design process of the ar-
 chitectural outcome - the fusion space. The background and motivation for this 
thesis is the immediate need for a multi-functional music space in the City of 
Johannesburg - with a particular focus on the chosen site. Therefore it is the 
intention that the research and the final design outcomes correlate with music 
and its exponents in order to create the fusion space ? not only as a space or 
design but also an Experience. As such this experience is not only sensory but 
should also appeal to the intellect and the spirit. 
abstract
 _3
fusion.   A blending together of separate simultaneous sensations
 into a new complex experience or qualitative perception ;
 the process whereby a succession of similar stimuli produces
 a contiuous response or the sensation of a continuous stimulus
 (A Supplement to the Oxford English Dictionary)
 _4
01_ an intro...........................................................................................page_006
   
02_ music, space, time & architecture.................................................page_014
 03_ topography of a musical landscape...............................................page_028
 04_ mimesis and/or function?..............................................................page_042
 05_ art, popular or traditional?............................................................page_052
 06_ architectural acoustics...................................................................page_068
 07_ situating music...............................................................................page_080
 08_	 five	precedents................................................................................page_120
 09_ brief/program.................................................................................page_152
 10_ making connections/sketches/concept..........................................page_172
 11_ fusion space...................................................................................page_200
 12_ references.......................................................................................page_236
 contents
 _5
_6
_7
Cecil Balmond?s sketches for the Serpentine Pavilion on the 
string theory (top left: Balmond & Ito 2004: 53; bottom left 
and right: Balmond 2007)
 Serpentine Pavilion of 2002 by Toyo Ito & Cecil Balmond (Balmond & Ito 2004: 53)_8
PRologUe
 ?I see a building as a static certainty, but if it is to be a piece of architecture, it 
should be a dynamic improbability.? (Balmond 2004: 47)
 A few years ago while still an undergraduate student I came across a conver-
 sation between two prominent figures in the contemporary architectural dis-
 cipline. The conversation was entitled ?Concerning Fluid Spaces? and was a 
dialogue between Cecil Balmond and Toyo Ito regarding the Serpentine Pavilion 
of 2002 (Balmond and Ito 2004: 44). What struck me the most from the article 
was how Toyo Ito made an interesting comparison between Noh drama1  and a 
fluid or continually moving space. Cecil Balmond?s response was an interesting 
description of Greek ideas of ratio at the time of the formulation of the various 
laws of geometry. After reading the article for the second time I was amazed by 
the comparison made between structure, symmetry, harmony and proportion 
to the scientific ideas of the string theory and subsequently to what Balmond 
called the ?oldest string theory? -  music. 
Music cannot be described in words. It is one of those types of art and science 
that evolves with the times while keeping its original functions intact. Music 
touches our soul in ways that are indescribable. Louis Kahn speaks of the ?un-
 measurable? things of this world. (Lobell 1979: 3) He describes Bach?s Toccata 
and Fugue as one of these ?unmeasurable? things because it ?cannot disappear? 
(Ibid. 10). Nevertheless in order for a thesis to be attempted on this subject one 
has to try to measure or quantify the meaning of the subject matter ? even if it 
serves as a drop in the ocean of knowledge that exists in the intuition. This is 
because it is the human intuition, more importantly his soul and his spirit that 
comprehend the full value of the immeasurable.
 1 Noh is a  traditional performance art of Japan where the movements are deliberate ? some-
 times rigid and sometimes fluid - and combine music, poetry and dance as inspiration to guide the 
movements.
 _9
Traditional Zulu dance and song in inner city Johannesburg (de Mervelec 2007: 56 - 57)
 South African National Youth Orchestra performing at the Lindner Auditorium, 2005 (www.sanyo.org.za/ img/IMG_8290_nys.jpg)
 _10
IntRodUctIon
 Architecture like music has the unique ability of shifting our attention onto a 
point of meditation and personal reflection. They both allow us to connect with 
the world on a level beyond the description of words. The more one connects 
with the world at this level the more the sense of fusion emerges. 
In South Africa, part of the richness of our culture is our music. Historically it has 
served as a catalyst for social interaction, fraternity, syncretism and unity. It has 
also been used for resistance, oppression and elitism. At present however it has 
a vital role in aiding as a unifying force in the New South Africa - this is because 
music had no boundaries of race, color, creed, sex or religion. 
Having realized the significance of music in South Africa, particularly in Johan-
 nesburg the intention of the thesis became to research and design for a space 
of music appreciation where the engagement with the Architecture becomes 
part of the Experience. It is a space where the culture of music is strengthened 
as well as nourished. It is a space where one can interact with music at different 
scales. It is a space where people interact and fuse. The building then becomes 
a tribute and a symbol of the fusion of the energy and activity that music and 
architecture create.
 The next step then became to look at the essence of both music and architec-
 ture in order to draw a conclusion on how the connection can be renewed in 
the light of contemporary architecture in South Africa, as well as to explore the 
social significance of music within the framework of the fusion space.
 an intro
 _11
?Under the sheets with my radio
 Turn down low
 So nobody know
 It?s the late night show
 Hopin? to hear ?Hey Joe?
 Jimi was my hero
 ...
 Singing into my pillow
 And praying I don?t dose
 Until my 9 Volt battery goes..?
 (Faithless 2006)
 _12
A site then had to be found that spoke of fusion and the in-between. This sense 
of the in-between had to be present both in terms of location and function. It 
was important that this space be currently utilized for an activity other than the 
one intended by the thesis so as to create a sense of fusion with its surround-
 ings. The design would invigorate the existing functions while introducing new 
ones. This then allows for the opportunity of strengthening the existing urban 
fabric in and around the site while taking advantage of immediate resources 
and amenities. More importantly the space should be able to connect with the 
people of its catchment area by taking advantage of major vehicular routes with 
its proximity to both the inner-city and the suburbs; as well as the people in its 
immediate vicinity by looking at methods of improving their everyday lives.
 The idea of the fusion space also made the research look at ways of breaking 
down barriers currently existing on the chosen site while also trying to keep its 
security intact. By this implication the design process also became about find-
 ing an architectural language that dealt with the issues of the site and its people 
as well as the delivery of a musically inspired performance venue.
 an intro
 _13

02_music, space, time & architecture
Clockwise from top: The Golden Sec-
 tion (Livio 2002: 119), sketch for a 
Stradivarius violin (Ibid: 184), Stradi-
 varius violin (www.geocities.com/ 
chateauguay04/stradivarius.jpg), Le 
Corbusier?s Notre Dame du Haut (www.
 alovelyworld.com/ webfranc/gimage/
 fra066.jpg), Le Corbusier?s Modular 
(Livio 2002: 173)
 _16
music, space, time & architecture
 Mario Livio, the contemporary astrophysicist and mathematician, writes of the 
concept of the ?music of the spheres? thought to have been originally derived 
from Pythagoras. This concept was part of the old Greek curriculum that appre-
 ciated the relationships between mysticism, mathematics, geometry and music. 
He goes on to link the relationship between harmony and rhythm to the Golden 
Ratio and its uses ? for example in the design of the Stradivarius violins - as 
also previously looked at in a different way by Le Corbusier in his Modular (Livio 
2002: 159). It is therefore possible to quantitatively and qualitatively research 
music and its effects on the built environment through the employment of vari-
 ous types of research and design techniques. These techniques will have the 
primary aim of building and linking relationships within the design framework to 
music and vice-versa. 
_17
?Music is given to us with the sole pupose of establishing an order in things, in-
 cluding, and particularly, the coordination between man and time?
 (Igor	Stravinsky	1936)
 ?Space and time are the fundamental material dimensions of human life?
 (Manuel Castells 2000: 407)
 _18
ARcHItectURe And mUsIc
 ?Architecture represents the art of design in space; music, the art of design in 
time.? (Martin 1994: 8)
 This analysis underlines the fundamental difference of Architecture to Music. 
We live in the physical world where time and space govern all the laws of exis-
 tence. Therefore to live in a world without time or space would mean that either 
Music or Architecture would not exist ?at least not in the forms that we conceive 
them. 
Steven Holl uses the following formula to explain the fundamental relationship 
between Music and Architecture:
 (material x sound)/time = (material x light)/space 
(Holl 2000: 254)
 To summarize this equation it is sufficient to state that the essential property of 
Music is the materiality of sound in its medium of time while the essential prop-
 erty of Architecture is the materiality of light in its medium of space. Moreover 
this equation goes beyond the mere comparison of Architecture and Music and 
stipulates that the two are somehow interrelated if not interdependent. This is 
obviously true if one were to look at it from the perspective that time and space 
are also interrelated. Elizabeth Martin explains simply that ?the properties of 
space and time are inseparable. Without time and space, matter is inconceiv-
 able; it is a dead thing. Space gives form and proportion; time supplies it with 
life and measure? (Martin 1994: 9). 
music, space, time & architecture
 _19
Above: Light diffusing into the gallery space at the Kimbell Art Museum 
by Louis Kahn (Lobell 1979: 15), right: Light pouring into the central 
atrium hall at the Phillips Exeter Academy Library by Louis Kahn (Wig-
 gins 1997: 30)
 _20
From the above equation we also see the importance of light in Architecture as 
sound is to Music. Le Corbusier wrote, ?Architecture is the masterly, correct and 
magnificent play of masses brought together in light? (Jeanneret 1946: 164). 
Louis Kahn knew very well this implication when he used the word ?Light? for 
the measurable things of the world and ?Silence? for the unmeasurable things 
? he saw Architecture as sitting between Silence and Light ? between the un-
 measurable and the measurable (Lobell 1979: 3). Kahn described great archi-
 tecture as starting with the immeasurable, going through the measurable and 
returning to the immeasurable.
 Perhaps Music is one of the immeasurable things of this world. Perhaps Music 
is one of the points of Silence ? as paradoxical as it sounds. Therefore if we take 
all these assumptions into consideration we can say that in order for a great 
piece of Architecture to be made we must take into account an immeasurable 
point ? such as Music ? as both a starting point and a destination point in order 
for a full Experience to become manifested. This also means that somewhere 
along the line the boundary of space and time blurs and as such the materiality 
of light and sound play integral roles in the formation of such an Experience.
 In an old movie depicting the life of Beethoven, called Eroica1, there is a scene 
when Beethoven realizes that he is becoming deaf and that he will be a deaf 
composer. His priest friend Amenda tries to console him with the thought that 
God has shut his ears in order to hear the sounds that can only be heard when 
one shuts himself away from the distractions of everyday life. Beethoven will 
have the advantage of hearing these other-worldly sounds that can only be 
heard with his mind?s ear. This deafness was given to him as a gift so that he 
can discover these special sounds and in turn play and compose them for us.
 1 The 1949 Austrian film masterpiece directed by Walter Kolm-Velt?e was named after Beethoven?s 
Third Symphony, Eroica. The work was initially dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte but was later renamed by 
Beethoven to ?Sinfonica eroica? after Napoleon declared himself as emperor and went against the ideals 
of the French Revolution.
 _21
The axis diagram and the axis defined - establishing an axis generates an order (Ching 1996: 323)
 The Golden section, the Pythagorean diagram illustrating belief that numerical relationships
 manifest the harmonic structure of the universe (Ching 1996: 286)
 The application of the Golden section on the proportioning of the facade of the Parthenon (Ching 1996: 288)
 _22
?Ultimately, architecture is the art of petrified silence? that is because ?a power-
 ful architectural experience silences all external noises; it focuses our attention 
on our very existence, and as with all art, it makes us aware of our fundamental 
solitude.? (Pallasmaa 1996: 36)
 mUsIc And sPAces
 Marcos Novak, the contemporary artist and theorist, describes that most of our 
conceptions about the relationship of Architecture to Music are remnants of 
Pythagorean belief ? such as balance, symmetry, and perfect and static parts 
(Martin 1994: 69). To go beyond these traditional views would mean that we 
would not only have to look at the relationship of Architecture to space but also 
to time and the relationship of Music to time but also to space.
 The Pythagorean way of looking at space and geometry was to look at them with 
an appreciation for numbers and that the underlying concept of all order was 
?the belief that certain numerical relationships manifest the harmonic structure 
of the universe? (Ching 1996: 286). Pythagoras used the Golden Ratio or the 
Golden Rectangle to illustrate this. However it is important to note that this 
diagram is two-dimensional and linear and does not justify or fully describe 
the meaning of a space. With this in mind we understand why the traditional 
way of looking at Architecture has always been to compare it to frozen music. 
This is because of the static nature of Pythagorean geometry which is confined 
to many sets of rules. Nevertheless this idea of frozen music was perhaps the 
easiest way of translating Architecture to Music.
 music, space, time & architecture
 _23
Longitudinal section through Kunsthal in Rotterdam (Koolhaas 1996: 86)
 Diagram and illustrations of the ?informal? nature of the force diagram in the Kunsthal (Balmond 2002: 60-61, 82-83, 81)
 _24
?I see a building as a static certainty, but if it is to be a piece of architecture, 
it should be a dynamic improbability.? (Balmond 2004: 47) This statement by 
Cecil Balmond2 in a dialogue with Toyo Ito3 in a 2004 issue of Architecture and 
Urbanism summarizes the concept of how time and space must interact in or-
 der for a piece of Architecture to be made (Balmond and Ito 2004: 47). 
As opposed to the idea of frozen music ? the idea of a dynamic improbability 
offers the translation process of Music to Architecture a more liberating stance - 
the idea that rhythm and harmonic can unexpectedly change, step out and even 
overlap to change our perceptions of time and space.
 In his book informal, Cecil Balmond describes the informal as the ?non-linear 
characteristics of design? in contrast with the formal which is the ?Platonic ideal 
reduced to a set of rules? (Balmond 2002: 113). The informal can then be com-
 pared to the sudden out of phase event that occurs in time and space. Put 
simply he calls the informal the property of Architecture that which makes the 
roof turn into a wall, the floor move into a column, the skin that becomes the 
structure and where the boundary is not a border (Ibid. 114). He illustrates this 
point very clearly in the force diagram of OMA?s Kunsthal in Rotterdam, where 
he worked as the lead structural engineer.
  
2 Cecil Balmond is a structural engineer who is the current head of the ARUP AGU (Advanced 
Geometry Unit) in London. He is also the former vice-chairman of the same company.
 3 Toyo Ito is a Japanese Architect and the principal at Toyo Ito & Associates 
_25
Photo and diagram of spatial order in Persian architecture in the Jami mosque of Isfahan, the idea of motion becomes
 apparent in the heirarchy of space in and around the building (Ardalan & Bakhtiar 1973: 55, 23)
 The idea of motion in space evident in the Starship Guitar music video by the Chemical Brothers. The video depicts the view
 from a train journey through France. Director Michel Gondry explains ?every sound from the track will be illustrated by an element
 of the landscape... As the sound becomes more elaborate, we will create a more complex landscape? (Ruby et al 2004: 46-47)
 _26
RHYtHm In tIme
 ?In order to understand, inhabit, and evaluate space it is crucial to recognize its 
temporal aspect. Space does not simply exist in time; it is of time. The actions 
of its users continually recreate its structures. This condition is often forgotten 
or repressed, as Western society is generally still based on the idea of a static, 
non-negotiable space.? (Eliasson 2007: 19)
 ?As we are able to appreciate a feeling of continuity and harmony in architectur-
 al design, so, too, we can view parallel development in other arts. The continuity 
and harmony of music is well appreciated and may serve to elucidate another 
aspect of the spiritual meaning of time-form continuity? (Ardalan et al 1973: 
19). In the book The Sense of Unity Ardalan and Bakhtiar explain the Persian 
perspective of the space and time relationship. They describe that ?the locus of 
time and form is space, which simultaneously manifests its active and passive 
aspects through motion. This integration is externalized in the architecture and 
urban environment, presenting simultaneous movement systems, such as ba-
 zaars, which create a continuous flow of harmonious spatial experiences based 
on number and geometry? (Ibid 19). Therefore the idea of motion and continu-
 ous movement gives space and time a form.
 conclUsIon
 The various methods of interpreting music into architecture have their own justi-
 fications and like any design method can be viewed under scrutiny in the light of 
other methods. When we view the translation of music as an architecture with 
no boundaries in form or space we then start to look at other ways of delivering 
an architectural space. In the next chapter we will look into the translation of 
music as an architectural landscape as one such approach.
 music, space, time & architecture
 _27

03_topography of a musical landscape
Longitudinal section through Alvar Aalto?s Church in Riola (Flieg 1971: 172)
 Images from Steven Holl?s Parallax describing the concept behind the Stretto House in Dallas (Holl 2000: 254)
 _30
metHods oF tRAnslAtIng mUsIc Into ARcHItectURe
 Historically there have been various ways of translating sound into a visible 
form. One can look as far back as to Gothic Architecture where mathematical 
structure resulting from the use of quadrature and triangulation, ?inspired phi-
 losophers to describe architecture as frozen music? (Jormakka et al 2008: 20). 
Form and structure became the immediate methods of the translation of archi-
 tecture as frozen music. Alvar Aalto paid homage to this method of translation 
with the fa?ade construction of his Church in Riola.
 Many years later in the 1920s artists at the Bauhaus in Wiemar, Germany took 
musical notations and turned them into visual compositions. Paul Klee took 
transcripts of Bach?s Adagio No. 6 from the sonata for violin and harpsichord in 
G major and replaced the traditional staves from the music sheet with a unified 
grid of parallel horizontal lines (Ibid 21). The pitch of a note corresponded to 
its height on the grid, its duration corresponded to its length while its dynamics 
were represented by the thickness of the lines. In 1991 architect Steven Holl 
used this same method to design the fa?ade of the Stretto House in Dallas, 
Texas, this time he used Bela Bartok?s Music for Strings, Percussion and Ce-
 leste. The bass instruments are ?emphasized by the physical separation of the 
light and heavy instruments on stage during the performance of the piece? (Holl 
2000: 255).
 ?Architecture?s expression of mass and materials according to gravity, weight, 
bearing, tension, and torsion reveal themselves like the orchestration of musi-
 cal instruments? (Ibid 255). The house is broken into four concrete blocks sup-
 porting lightweight roof structure. The house flows next to the adjacent stream 
and merges with the landscape laterally. ?The heavy and light tectonic concept 
aims towards a new field of landscape merging with architecture? (Ibid 255). 
topography of a musical landscape
 _31
_32
 Salvador Dali?s ?Topological Abduction of Europe: Homage to Rene Thom?, 1983. The painting depicts a landscape 
seismically fractured juxatposed with an equation that explains it (www.abcgallery.com)
Just as simply as we looked at the evolution in the ideas of the space and time 
existence with regards to form, movement and their architectural implications 
we can see the same pattern emerging in the methods of translating Music into 
architecture. As our concepts of space and time shifted through the ages so did 
our methods of translation of these basic concepts into architecture. This then 
brings us to more current trends in the architectural world.
 tHe Fold And tHe InteRstItIAl sPAces
 In a 1993 issue of Architectural Design, Frederik Stjernfelt1 suggested the usage 
of Rene Thom?s2 Catastrophe Theory in the analysis of an architectural space 
(Stjernfelt 1993: 36). The eventual value of the catastrophe theory according 
to Thom was that there is a need for a philosophical point of view in science in 
order to regulate it. The significance of this theory in the design is seen in the 
forms that it speculates ? one of which is the folding of a space. Stjernfelt, men-
 tions that the simplest singularity is the point, which divides a line in two. The 
next is what Rene Thom calls a fold, which articulates a wall as being neither 
inside nor outside - Stjernfelt goes on to conclude that the simplest form of the 
fold is the cavern, ?a simple marking of a place as being neither inside nor out-
 side? (Ibid 37). 
In the same issue of Architectural Design, Claire Robinson, mentions the follow-
 ing archetypal morphologies from Rene Thom?s theory ? ?to finish, to begin, to 
unify, to separate, to become, to capture, to emit, to fault, to suicide, to agitate, 
to cross, to give, to take, to send, to link and to cut? (Robinson 1993: 64). Once 
carefully analyzed it becomes evident, as Robinson mentions, that certain of 
these aspects of the catastrophe theory are either destructive or constructive 
1 Frederik Stjernfelt is a Professor of Nordic literature at Institut for Litteraturvidenskab, Copen-
 hagen University. He is also the editor of the Danish journal KRITIK. (http://www.eurozine.com/authors/
 stjernfelt.html). Cited 15 April 2008
 2 Dr Rene Thom was a French mathematician and inventor of the Catastrophe Theory. His ex-
 pertise was in topology, which studies the shapes and symmetries of abstract geometric objects (Source 
www.nytimes.com). Cited 15 April 2008
 _33
?Well, I stand up next to a mountain 
And I chop it down with the edge of my hand 
Well, I pick up all the pieces and make an island
 Might even raise a little sand?
 (Jimi Hendrix 1968)
 _34
 Verbs of a folding landscape?s archetypal morphologies (SCM 2008)
topography of a musical landscape
 and perhaps even both. It is therefore not only a space but also an action ? ?the 
fold? is not static geometry but one of spatial, temporal, material flux? (Ibid 64). 
What this means is that there is always continuity in the Architecture wether 
spatially, materially or systematically ? on the level of the building?s relation to 
itself or even to the urban landscape surrounding it. In another light, these mor-
 phologies could be viewed as potential musical actions in time. 
According to Robinson the fold becomes a design process in which the Archi-
 tecture is not primarily upheld as an immutable object ? where the building is 
not autonomous but connects with its greater surroundings (Ibid 64). In the 
same journal, which carried the theme ? ?Folding in Architecture?, Jeffrey Kipnis 
suggested a new type of thinking in Architecture which he called DeFormation 
(Kipnis 1993: 44). In the article he underlines the importance of the residual ? 
left over spaces. These spaces are the in-between and the interstitial spaces. 
Traditionally an interstitial space represents the middle-ground as opposed to 
a use-space which is seen as the primary space of a building or the destina-
 tion point for specific activities. DeFormationist Architects aim to render all the 
spaces in a building as interstitial, without making them homogenous. The fold-
 ing of a space in section is one way of doing that (Ibid 46).
 ?Thus the fold might be the most simple and crude expression because any 
architecture, from a topological point of view, consists of many folds.? (Sterjn-
 feld 1993: 37). Viewed conversely, the folding of a space, whether vertically or 
horizontally, renders the architecture to relate back to the landscape and to the 
shift in planes in nature. 
_35
Unfolded sectional drawing illustrating how the Mobius House compliment?s the dweller?s living patters (Van Berkel & 
Bos 2006: 152-153)
 Left: Model exploring the interplay of glass and concrete in the Mobius House, right: Conceptual diagram representing the loop-like 
spatial organization of the Mobius House (Van Berkel & Bos 2006: 152, 153)
 Views of the Villa Wilbrink by UN Studio. The house emerges from the landscape to respond in a different way to its suburban setting. 
The clients wanted a piece of landscape architecture minus the traditional garden (Van Berkel & Bos 2006: 152, 153)
 _36
topography of a musical landscape
 lAndscAPe And mUsIc
 Architect and theorist, Aaron Betsky, states that ?Architecture that unfolds the 
earth destabilizes some of the most fundamental aspects of canonical architec-
 ture (Betsky 2005: 98). What this implies is that when the earth is unfolded by 
means of an architectural form new potential is found in the resulting spaces 
? not only on subterranean level but also on the level of the landscape and 
above. 
Several architects have today found the language of the landscape as valuable 
generators of public space. Dutch firm UN Studio have developed part of their 
architectural language from the continuity of a space for movement. Their build-
 ings sometimes emerge and borrow from the landscape as the Villa Wilbrink in 
Amersfoort. Here ?visitors enter the house down a narrow path between the roof 
plane, and find themselves immediately in the middle of the living areas, which 
group around a small patio. The materials are simple, even harsh, emphasizing 
the notion that this is a defensive habitation? (Betsky 2005: 89).
 UN Studio?s earlier Mobius House in Het Gooi is another project where the idea 
of the interstitial space is taken to another level - this time in the design of a 
home in the countryside. The concept was that of integrating programme, cir-
 culation and structure into a single space. The architect?s explain, ?the Mobius 
strip is not used with mathematical rigour, but it is instead interpreted as a dia-
 gram upon which such architectural ingredients as light, space, material, time 
and movement find an organizational structure? (Van Berkel & Bos  2006: 150). 
The house takes full advantage of its site and it unfolds horizontally allowing the 
occupants to take in the surroundings during their daily activities. 
_37
Photos of Frank Gehry?s Dancing House in Prague (Dal Co et al 1998: 506, 509)
 A scene from the 1935 movie ?Top Hat? starring Gin-
 ger Rogers and Fred Astaire, Gehry?s inspiration for 
the Dancing House (http://www.doctormacro1.info/
 Images/Rogers,%20Ginger/Rogers,%20Ginger%20
 (Top%20Hat)_01.jpg)
 Above: Sketch and plan of the Dancing House illustrating the 
translation of a musical architecture (Dal Co et al 1998: 504, 505)
 _38
topography of a musical landscape
 An architecture of a musical landscape need not only have to look at the sec-
 tion as a guide but also to the plan and elevation. The architect Frank O Gehry 
demonstrates this in his Nationale-Nederlanden Building in Prague. Prior to this 
however Gehry wished to name the building the ?Astaire and Rogers Building? 
after the famous dance duo. The building is known within Gehry?s office as the 
Wave and among local Czechs as the Dancing House. 
The Dancing House is best known for its ability to integrate and contrast with 
the densely historic landscape of downtown Prague. ?The principal facade 
overlooking the riverbank, extends the scale and rhythms of the adjacent row 
houses? (Dal Co et al 1998: 504). The staggered windows and horizontal stria-
 tions gradually meet the next-door buildings? cornice lines. The solid cylindrical 
tower celebrates the turning of the corner with its vertical dominance and rigid-
 ity and contrasts the glass tower?s fluid form. The glass tower?s dancing form is 
accentuated by its steel structural supports and emphasizes the rigidity of its 
surroundings, while its columns follow the rhythm of the ?dance? and open to 
welcome pedestrians to wander under its ?skirt? to the interior cafes and shops 
on ground floor. 
One is then reminded about the idea of movement in time that music is so 
fundamentally constrained by - perhaps human movement within architectural 
space is the same. Perhaps to translate music into architecture means to trans-
 late the movement of individuals through a space in the poetic and harmonious 
way that music has the ability to do so gracefully. 
_39
_40
_41

04_mimesis and/or function?
Above: Steven Holl?s ?Hybrid bridge-building studies? taken from Picasso?s ?Maquette for Guitar? of 1912. Holl took Picasso?s Maquette 
because of the concept of the open intrument that is not an object and reconfigured it to for the design of the College of Art and Art 
History at the University of Iowa in Iowa City (Holl 2000: 318-319)
 Left: Conceptual plan of the College of Art and Art History at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Steven Holl explains, 
?the school?s architecture represents a hybrid vision of the future: half bridge, half loft; half theory, half practice; part 
technological, part anthropomorphic?. Right: Views of the College of Art and Art History (www.architecture.com)
 _44
?For most people in the world, ?music? means sung music. For most people in 
human history, ?music? meant sung music.? (Kivy 2002: 49)
 It is interesting to note that as an art form in its own right, absolute music did 
not become a subject of philosophical inquiry until late in the eighteenth cen-
 tury (Ibid: 25). Why this is important is because since the time of Plato to the 
eighteenth century, the reigning view was that music is a ?representational? 
practice: it represents the human speaking voice ? in other words vocal music 
(Ibid: 50). 
This concept brings us back to the Architectural significance of Music ? or rather 
to another type of comparison between the two. In a perhaps out-dated edition 
of Oxford University?s journal, Music & Letters1, Paul Waterhouse2 writes on the 
?hackneyed, but happy, likening of architecture to frozen music? (Waterhouse 
1921: 323). Firstly he divides the arts into five categories: painting, sculpture, 
literature (including drama), music and architecture. In all these arts (save ar-
 chitecture) according to Aristotle the primary intention is to create a mimesis 
(imitation or representation of nature or human emotions). According to Wa-
 terhouse architecture ?has no mimesis with which to concern itself? in its stead 
architecture has structure ? therefore it is difficult to categorize architecture as 
an art. Nevertheless he argues that music similar to architecture is ?unattached 
to imitation or representation? and this is what makes the two ?stand side by 
side and apart? (Ibid: 324).
 1 Music & Letters is a leading international journal of musical scholarship. Since its foundation in 
the 1920s it has covered a wide range of topics and has encouraged fruitful dialogue between musicology 
and other discipline (Source http://ml.oxfordjournals.org). Cited 1 July 2008
 2 Paul Waterhouse (1861-1924) was the son and partner in practice of the famous British Archi-
 tect, Alfred Waterhouse.. His work include the design of Girton College at Cambridge University as well as 
All Saints? Church at St. Andrew?s. His architectural style like his father?s was Neo-Gothic and Victorian 
(Source: http://www.allsaints-standrews.org.uk/History/Waterhouse.html). Cited 1 July 2008
 _45
?... at last it gets almost finished in my head, so that I can see it as a whole, even 
when it?s a long piece, at a single glance, like a fine painting or a beautiful statue?
 (Mozart 1782)
 _46
According to Hegel3 architecture ?does its business in forms ? not occupied with 
nature, but invented by the architect ? which it disposes under laws of gravity 
and rules of symmetry. These forms are to architecture the exact equivalent of 
the tonal combinations, harmonic laws, and principles of rhythm which are the 
medium of the musician? (Ibid: 326).
 In the introduction to Exploring the Musical Mind, John Sloboda4 states that to 
read in one?s own language is in many cultures one of the essential prerequi-
 sites for full membership of that particular society (Sloboda 2005: 3). He then 
states that this ability to read can be comparable to the ability of a musician to 
read music notes written on sheet. Although this opinion can be debated from 
many sociocultural viewpoints it is sufficient to say that there is a basic need 
among people to read and be able to interpret written data ? the same also 
applies to the musician. Architects similarly use the drawing, sketching and il-
 lustration process to convey their intentions. If they did not then the buildings 
would probably not be built or if they did would not be accurate to the initial de-
 sign concept of the architect. Similarly if a composer had not written his music 
then the concert would not be able to be performed.
 ?In architecture, as in music, the creator is not necessarily the executant. One 
man designs; others can carry out the design. How close, indeed, is the like-
 ness between the production of a big orchestral work and the building of a 
large building. The composer at work putting his sound-structure on silent pa-
 per is closely paralleled by the architect with his drawing? When the moment 
of execution arrives there is needed in either case some sympathetic artist to 
3 George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was a German philosopher and cocreator of ?German idealism?. 
He was influenced by another German philosopher, Immanuel Kant. His most influential idea is his way 
of looking into history through a process of ?thesis, antithesis and synthesis? - also known as dialectical 
reasoning (Source http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hegel/). Cited 1 July 2008
 4 Professor John Sloboda is widely known for his works in the psychology of music. His interests 
include the emotional response and the performance of music. He is currently the Executive Director of 
the Oxford Research Group - an NGO seeking non-violent approaches to national and international secu-
 rity issues (Source http://www.oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk/about_us/staff.php). Cited 1 July 2008
 _47
?It is not unusual for deep emotions to be stirred when the eye is satisfied by a 
noble picture, a glorious sunset, or a peach orchard in full bloom. Or when the 
ear is entranced by the genius of a Beethoven, a Bach, a Mendelssohn. To the eye 
or ear trained to detect subtle harmonies of color, composition and tone, a chord 
is struck by transcendent beauty which stirs the depths.?
  (Howard	Colby	Ives	1937)
 _48
conduct? The interpretation carried through by the conductor of an orchestra 
and that performed by an architect in superintending the execution of a design 
are very close indeed to one another in their nature and their artistic value.? 
(Waterhouse 1921: 328 ? 329)
 John Sloboda, who holds a view contrary to that of Paul Waterhouse?s idea of 
music not having a mimesis, explains that if one were to compare a composer to 
an architect one must look beyond the mere value of the two but to also look at 
the ?middle men? involved. He states that in architecture they are the surveyors, 
builders and manufacturers while in music they are the publishers, performers, 
and instrument makers. As such all these members of the process will have a 
say in the outcome of the works. More important however in the process must 
be the ?user? (Sloboda 2005: 194). This then gives architecture and music a 
mimesis and more importantly a function:
 ?An architect can never entirely predetermine all the uses that people will make 
of his building. Users to a certain extent choose what use to make a building. A 
building may have been designed to live in, but someone decides to run a busi-
 ness from it. A church may have been designed for worship, but later users turn 
into a museum or concert hall. The best the architect can do is to provide af-
 fordances (salient features) which offer opportunities for certain kinds of use? 
This is true to music too? Each listener chooses what use to make of it in ac-
 cordance with the perceived affordance and his or her own agenda.? (Ibid: 194 
-195).
 mimesis and/or function?
 _49
The current languages of contemporary South African architecture, top: The Nothern Cape Legislature by Ferreira da Silva Architects 
(Malan 2003: 49) middle left: The Constitutional Court of South Africa by OMM Design Workshop and Urban Solutions, middle right: 
The Cradle of Humankind Heritage Site by GAPP Architects and MMA Architects (Dekler et al 2006: 52, 76), bottom: The Faraday 
Special Facilities Project by ASM Architects (http://asmarch.com/fara.htm)
 _50
In seARcH FoR A conteXtUAl mImesIs
 In an essay entitled Architecture, Hybridity and Post-Apartheid Design by Jona-
 than Noble5 we see one perspective of how our contemporary landscape of 
South African architecture is in search of its own mimesis. He explains  that 
?new South African architecture can a) appropriate Western architecture, in an 
attempt to form a new, undifferentiated relation between Africa and the West 
b) reflect Western architecture outright, attempting to design from scratch, or 
c) hybridize Western architecture, Africanize it, adapting it to local needs and 
aspirations?. He then continues to explain that ?of the three options presented 
here, hybridity is bound to emerge as the most sensible way forward? (Noble 
date unknown: 13). 
Since the raison d??tre of the thesis is the delivery of the fusion space one must 
look at the approaches taken currently in South Africa to deliver architecture. 
If the three above options are our current choices then is there any room for 
another mimesis? Would another mimesis be one of the three? Perhaps the 
answer lies in how we interpret our music in South Africa. In the next chapter we 
will be looking at various musical styles in South Africa in order to form answers 
to the above questions.
 However it is important to note that it is not the intention of this thesis to look 
for a ?new South African style? but to be aware of the ideas of mimesis in music 
and architecture specifically in our local context. For the purposes of the fusion 
space and with regards to its programmatic function the implications of these 
views form part of the interpretation of the listener, performer, visitor, student 
or passer-by.
 5 Jonathan Noble is a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand. He lectures theory and 
practise of Architectural Design as well as researching into their implications in the context of South Af-
 rica.
 _51

05_art, popular or traditional?
_54
_55
The Soweto String Quartet playing African tunes with 
classical instruments (http://www.5sm.co.za/pics/
 EthnicWorld/ssq.jpg)
 Miriam Makeba on a world tour, singing in a
 jazz-folk style (Bergman 1985: 115)
 A Ghanaian Michael Jackson impersonator about to
 be mobbed by teenagers at a concert in London
 (Bergman 1985: 20)
 _56
?Any one who attempt to relate architecture and music at the end of the second 
millennium must fist ask: What music? What architecture?? (Novak 1994: 69)
 In this chapter of the thesis, the subject of what types of music will be played at 
the fusion space and why will be discussed. This will help us formulate an argu-
 ment into the question of ?style? in our local context.
 In an essay entitled Globalization of South African Art Music, Martin Scherzing-
 er1 analyzes the various influences on music in South Africa:
 ?Following the achievement of material independence in 1994, the already 
thriving South African popular-music scene entered a renewed wave of eclectic 
innovation and experimentation. The unprecedented influx of musicians from 
across Africa, coupled with a growing music-festival culture, encouraged cre-
 ative exchanges between local and international musicians, and in the process 
new musical genres were invented and old ones transformed.? (Scherzinger 
2004: 606)
 South African ?art? music on the other hand generally tried to identify local forms 
of African music as a self-contained form of ?art? music (Ibid: 607). This meant 
that artists like the Soweto String Quartet2 or the SDSA Chorale gospel group 
kept to their interpretations of African music. Whereas in west Africa the ?art?-
 music had a tendency to integrate African and European musical structures. 
At this point in the thesis it is important to differentiate between the various 
types of music that various genres fall under. Art music is the general term 
given to musical genres requiring a deep theoretical and structural approach. 
1 Martin Scherzinger is professor and researcher in the fields of music, culture, media and com-
 munication at New York University. His work attempts to understand contemporary ?modalities of hearing? 
that influence music in the world today. (Source: http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/faculty_bios/view/Martin_
 Scherzinger) Cited 15 August 2008
 2 The Soweto String Quartet are South African musical icons known primarily for playing African 
tunes on ?Eurocentric? instruments;. Their work is a symbol of reconciliation and hope in the new South 
Africa. (Source: http://www.sowetostringquartet.co.za/main.html) Cited 15 August 2008
 _57
Images from ?An Enchanted Evening?, a concert by Japanese fusion and world-music composer Kitaro (Naito 1995)
 Images from ?S&M?, a ?fusion? concert performed by Metallica and Michael Kamen conducting the San Francisco 
Symphony Orchestra (Marshall 1999). Music has the unique ability of bringing different worlds of people together 
and breaking down barriers that may exist between them.
 _58
For this reason art music is sometimes referred to as serious music. Classical 
music, minimal music, certain forms of jazz and certain forms of contemporary 
electronic music fall under this umbrella. Popular music is the term given to a 
large number of genres of music that can be easily accessed by the general 
public and is broadcasted by the mass media at a higher rate than other genres. 
Genres such as rock, reggae, rap and pop fall under this massive musical um-
 brella. Traditional music, also referred to as folk music or world music by many. 
Traditional music genres have generally been handed down through oral means 
or have been derived on a cultural basis. Generally traditional and art music are 
less accessible by the mainstream culture and as a result there is less focus by 
the mainstream media on these two umbrellas of music ? as opposed to the 
more popular genres. While these three umbrella groups of music have specific 
definitions crossovers or fusion genres have also emerge that combine and blur 
the specific lines separating the music types. 
FUsIon
 This concept of fusion is very important specifically in the South African context 
where there has been the emergence of Africanized ?art? music. This music 
type ?paradoxically both aspires to cultural legitimacy in an international context 
and aims to resist the global juggernaut threatening local traditions? (Ibid: 609).  
The history of South Africa, specifically under the apartheid regime, has caused 
tension in the perceptions of a section of the population as to the significance 
of the sometimes viewed erudite or elite ?art? music genres. As a result the 
significance of the African ?art? music scene is contested and in doubt locally. 
Nevertheless on a global context African ?art? music has a great role to play for 
three reasons. Firstly it has the ability to encourage new directions in the evo-
 lution of international ?art? music by taking advantage of the creative tension 
between African traditional music and Western art music. Secondly the vari-
 art, popular or traditional?
 _59
The Soweto Gospel Choir won the Grammy Award for the Best Traditional World Music Album
 in 2007 (http://www.samro.org.za/index.pl/soweto_gospel_choir_wins_2007_grammy_award)
 Left: Andreas Vollenweider, the Swiss ?new age? and jazz composer, uses elements from vari-
 ous countries? traditional music to influence his musical style (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
 Image:Andreas_Vollenweider.jpg), above: Vollenweider performing at the Mangaung African 
Cultural Festival (MACUFE) in Bloemfontein (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Macufe4.
 jpg)
 _60
ous music genres can inform each other in ways that allow for ground-breaking 
milestones to be achieved. African art and music has historically helped in the 
development of Western art and music in the twentieth century. Perhaps Pablo 
Picasso?s study of the African ?primitive? figure is a good example as this led to 
the abstractions of Cubism. Thirdly new genres and marketing categories in the 
music industries allow for the emergence of forms of music intersecting avant-
 garde-oriented ?art? music and tradition-oriented ?world? music (Ibid: 607). Put 
simply the merging of different music types potentially allows for the emergence 
of completely new genres ? a good example was the emergence of rock ?n roll 
as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. Many years later in 1969 Miles 
Davis releases Bitches Brew - this marked a new era in fusion in the recorded 
popular music scene.
 An etHnomUsIcologIcAl PeRsPectIVe
 Previously the apartheid government had invested considerably in a biased 
manner into Western forms of culture and music in South Africa. In 1997, the 
new national government decided to abandon financing of the SABC Sympho-
 ny Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra due to it being a proponent of 
?Eurocentric? culture in South Africa. Therefore at present there is a hesitation 
among some to revisit the past and reinstate classical music as the state?s 
musical symbol. Although this is understandable from a socio-contextual and 
historic point of view one must be wary of removing or ignoring this art form al-
 together as this would create an equal and opposite effect to apartheid, where 
other musical forms were suppressed. Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni, 
patron of the South African Ballet Theatre, sees ?collapsing orchestras as big 
mistake? and would like to see the national orchestra again (Source: http://
 www.joburg.org.za/content/view/806/52).
 art, popular or traditional?
 _61
John Blacking, previous head at the University of the Witwatersrand?s Department of Social Anthropology.
 A good selection of his essays can be found in ?Music, Culture & Experience? (Bohlman et al 1995)
 John Blacking found close similarities between Western classical music and their Eastern counterparts. 
Left: Japanese Gagaku performance group (http://homepage2.nifty.com/shakuhachi-reido/2006.12.09gagaku-kurodabushi.
 jpg), right: Manoochehr Sadeghi Ensemble performing traditional Persian classical music (http://www.parstimes.com/gallery/ma-
 noochehr_sadeghi/)
 _62
?Terms such as ?art?, ?folk?, or ?popular? can be misleading: although they may 
suggest the kind of experience the music is intended to convey, they are too 
often used to refer to the technical complexity that it displays. The process of 
creation is therefore confused with the musical product. If the terms ?folk? and 
?art? are to be used at all, they should refer to process, to ways of expressing the 
experiences of individuals in society.? (Blacking 1995: 31-32)
 John Blacking was a professor of social anthropology at the Queen?s University 
in Belfast and prior to that was the head at the University of the Witwatersrand?s 
Department of Social Anthropology. Blacking concentrated a large amount of his 
time on researching into traditional and ?folk? South African music particularly of 
the Venda. He is often described as one of the most important ethnomusicolo-
 gists of the twentieth century. He was committed to the idea that to make music 
is an inherent attribute to all humans. Blacking quotes Mantle Hood?s Musicol-
 ogy when he says ?Western and non-Western students of world music, as well 
as lay audiences,? are ?deeply moved by the beauty of such pieces as ?Koinjuna 
Ha? in Japanese Gagaku, the G Minor Symphony by Mozart, and ?Rambu? played 
by a Japanese gamelan Sekati? (Hood 1963: 286). Blacking in the same essay 
goes on to find a close link between ?traditional? and ?art? music. ?Folk music en-
 hances a social situation, and its value lies chiefly in the situation itself. Art mu-
 sic refers to social situations beyond those in which it is performed? (Blacking 
1995: 32). Although this may be viewed as a simplification of the two genres of 
music it is perhaps this simplification that is needed in order to remove present 
psychological or prejudicial barriers that may exist between particular genres of 
music.  ?Musical styles are based on what people have chosen to select from 
nature as a part of their cultural expression rather than on what nature has 
imposed on them? (Ibid: 33).
 art, popular or traditional?
 _63
The question of modernity in African art music has allowed for a variety of new genres and styles to emerge and thus changing the 
stereotype of the social conditions influencing the musical styles. Above: The modern ?griot? or West African praise singer relys on both 
tradtitional and Western musical intruments (Bergman 1985: 97)
 Above: Johnny Clegg with Zulu dancers and musicians in post-apartheid inner city Johannesburg (de Mevelec 2007: 
41)
 _64
PeRFoRmIng A socIAl condItIon = BUIldIng stYle?
 From our analysis we can deduct that the particular genres or sub-genres of 
music are not and should not be a hindrance in the usability and legibility of the 
fusion space. It is therefore sufficient to conclude that by allowing for a multi-
 performance space we not only make a very logistically pleasant space but also 
create an atmosphere that can be manipulated in order to create the setting for 
the specific type of concert. We have however chosen the umbrella genres of art 
and traditional music as the primary sources of music, with an accommodation 
for popular music should the demand arise. 
According to Blacking the only useful distinction between traditional and art mu-
 sic are differences in the way the experience of the music genres are expressed 
by individual members in society. ?Folk music expresses the actual solidarity 
of groups when people come together and produce patterns of sound that are 
signs of their group allegiances. Art music expresses the theoretical solidarity 
when a composer brings together patterns of sound that express aspects of 
social experience? (Ibid: 52). 
While it is important to take the sociocultural influences of the surroundings into 
consideration it is also important to note that the architecture used to portray 
these music forms can be interpreted in a number of ways ? in the same way 
as each individual musical genre can be interpreted to represent an expression 
or experience. Put simply the fusion space?s Architectural language does not 
necessarily have to emerge from the surrounding built forms? expressions but 
can be manipulated in order to either represent and enhance the social situa-
 tion of its site or it can represent another social situation beyond which it?s site 
reflects. These two fundamental justifications are tied to our previous analysis 
of the musical genres inasmuch as they are also contemporary issues in the 
art, popular or traditional?
 _65
Above: The Jazz Pioneers playing at President House in 1985; this was about the time that black musicians were 
allowed back into Johannesburg from the townships to perform. The setting is an old industrial building with famous 
South African artist, Wayne Barker selling drinks to the audience (Krige 1985)
 Above: Zimbabwean musician, Samuel Mtukudzi performing in Moyo Restaurant in contemporary Johannesburg 
(SCM 2008)
 _66
art, popular or traditional?
 contemporary South African Architectural discipline. Does our Architecture in 
South Africa represent tradition or art? Should our Architecture in South Africa 
represent tradition or art? Can they be both? Can they stand alone and apart 
from each other? Can they be combined to compliment each other? 
Perhaps the fundamental issue to supersede these questions is the very notion 
that was put across John Blacking when he mentioned their likeness and even 
their (art and traditional) inseparability from each other. Therefore if the fusion 
space holds true to the understanding of this inseparability then it must also ac-
 commodate and be used for both the music types with a view to also introduce 
international sub-genres referred to as ?world music?. This then means that a 
fixed acoustic (sound-box) venue be included in the design of the fusion space 
while a secondary (or perhaps primary) venue also be established close by for 
the generation of amplified sound. These two venues will cover the different 
scales and types of music and sound performance in order to bring the different 
music audiences together in one setting.
 To conclude it is perhaps important to mention that the building language of the 
fusion space should is not about East, West or Africa. It should be about the mu-
 sic, the creation of a musical landscape and the fusion of many musical styles 
in order to create the fusion in the architecture and in the Experience of the 
user. We have seen how the questions of ?which musical style belongs to who? 
is no longer applicable in our contemporary South African landscape. Therefore 
it is the opinion of this research that the stylistic representation of Architecture 
is not a fundamental issue as long as the delivery of the Experience of Music 
and fusion are evident.
 _67

06_architectural acoustics
The relationship of sound and vibrations on a string to the creation of a musical note (Beranek 1962) 
_70
architectural acoustics
 soUnd & InstRUment
 ?Hearing structures articulates the experience and understanding of space. We 
are not normally aware of the significance of hearing in spatial experience, al-
 though sound often provides the temporal continuum in which visual impres-
 sions are embedded.? (Pallasmaa 1996: 34) 
In this chapter we will briefly explore the field of architectural acoustics. Inas-
 much as the subject is a very scientific and extensive understanding of sound, 
like all sciences it has a logical basis. We will therefore try to understand the 
logic behind this science in order for the design of the fusion space to be for-
 mally and functionally informed by it.
 ?Sound is created by materials that vibrate. The vibrating surfaces of strings 
of membranes set into motion the molecules of the air surrounding them. Not 
content with vibrating alone, these moving air molecules jostle their neighbors 
and produce and outward-traveling wave which progresses at a speed of 1130 
feet (343 meters) per second? (Beranek 1962: 13). 
Vibrations however do differ by the intensity of their motion. These different 
vibrations therefore cause different wavelength which fill a range between low 
and high frequency. The higher the frequency of the wavelengths; the higher the 
pitch of sound, conversely, the lower the frequency; the lower the pitch of sound. 
In music these different modes of vibration are known as harmonics, because 
their frequencies are harmonically related to each other (Ibid: 15). Each musical 
instrument has its own set of harmonics because of the various characteristics 
of each individual instrument. It is the particular combination of different forms 
of vibration , harmonically related to each other, that gives an instrument its 
timbre (also known as tone-color).
 _71
Wallace Clement Sabine, referred to as the father of architec-
 tural acoutsic, was a Harvad University physics professor at the 
time when he designed the acoustics of Boston Symphony Hall 
(Sabine 1927)
 Left: Plans and section through the auditorium of 
the Boston Symphony Hall designed by McKim, 
Mead and White with the help of Sabine
 _72
architectural acoustics
 ARcHItectURAl AcoUstIcs
 The Penguin Dictionary of Music defines acoustics:
  (1) The science of sound; (2) the sound-properties of a building 
(Jacobs 1991: 3)
 Professor Wallace Clement Sabine, the founder of architectural acoustics and 
the architectural acoustician of the famous Boston Symphony Hall, in his most 
influential book ? Collected Papers on Acoustics, writes:
 ?In order that hearing may be good in any auditorium, it is necessary that the 
sound should be sufficiently loud; that the simultaneous components of a com-
 plex sound should maintain their proper relative intensities; and that the suc-
 cessive sounds in rapidly moving articulation, either of speech or music, should 
be clear and distinct, free from each other and from extraneous noises. These 
three are necessary, as they are the entirely sufficient, conditions of good hear-
 ing. The architectural problem is, correspondingly, threefold.? (Sabine 1927: 4) 
If one were to summarize these three characteristics they would probably be 
classified as loudness, distortion (interference and resonance) and confusion 
(reverberation, echo and unnecessary sounds). What an architectural acousti-
 cian therefore does is try to control these factors by material means in order 
to keep the sound at an optimum quality for listeners in a space. We shall try 
to explore some of these factors in order to better understand this concept. A 
more detailed version of this can be found in the chapter entitled Reverbera-
 tion in Sabine?s book since this is a simplified version with the least amount of 
technical terminology. 
_73
The path of direct sound and reflected sound waves in a concert hall. Reverberation is a collection of all the
 refelected sounds in an auditorium (Beranek 1962: ?) 
_74
architectural acoustics
 PRIncIPles oF ARcHItectURAl AcoUstIcs
 It is important to understand that sound travels in all directions because of its 
wave form and that since it is an energy form the closer you are to the source 
the greater its intensity ? similarly the further you are the less energy the waves 
will have to produce the original sound. If an absorbent surface stands in the 
way of the wave, the sound diminishes in intensity rapidly as opposed to a bare 
hard surface which reflects the sound. Audience members act as absorbents 
therefore it is important to gradually raise the seating so that the hemispherical 
wave form can travel uninterrupted to all seated. Similarly the source of sound 
can be raised. It is also important to place a hard surface behind the source of 
sound so that the waves may reflect off into the audience (for a stronger sound). 
Adding a roof to the space intensifies the sound level and equalizes the levels 
between the rear and front of the space. 
Inevitably however we want the sound to die so that sound produced current-
 ly does not interfere with sound produced a moment ago. The length of time 
taken for a loud sound to die down is known as the reverberation time ? more 
technically - reverberation time is the amount of time for sound to decay by 
60 decibels (normal conversation level). Two factors influence the length of re-
 verberation time ? shape (including size) of a space and materials (including 
furnishings) in the space. The greater the volume of the hall in relation to the 
audience seating, the longer the reverberation time. The more bare the surface 
area of the space; the longer the reverberation time while the more insulated or 
padded the surface area of the space; the shorter the reverberation time. This 
concept is also true for the distortion of sounds as the more bare the surface 
area the more the waves reflect from them and therefore the more chance there 
is of the waves meeting each other ? causing either interference or resonance 
(cancel out or increase the sound waves); Both effects are undesirable.
 _75
Desirable Reverberation Times for BOTH speech and music accord-
 ing to Sabine: 1,5 - 2,5 seconds
 - Anything higher makes speech difficult to understand. The Notre 
Dame in Paris has a reverberation time of 8 seconds and is the 
perfect setting for a dramatic pipe organ, but don?t even try mak-
 ing a speech there.
 - Anything lower impedes on the fullness and richness in the sound  
of music.
 Method of calculating the Reverberation Time using the Sabine 
Formula:
 Where V is the interior volume of the enclosure (length x breadth x 
height)
 Where S  e is the effective absorptive area (sum of all surface ar-
 eas)
 The intention is therefore to adjust the interior dimensions of the 
auditorium until an RT between 1,5 - 2,5 seconds is reached.
 If this is not possible then the surfaces must be made highly reflec-
 tive if the result is a lower reverberation time. Conversely surfaces 
must be made highly absorptive if the result is a higher reverbera-
 tion time.
 _76
architectural acoustics
 When looking at the walls of a room ? the room with the least number of open-
 ings is more acoustically insulated and is not acoustically connected to the ex-
 terior space. ?In a concert hall we do not want to radiate sounds beyond the 
walls of the hall, but rather we want to conserve the energy by keeping it inside? 
(Ibid: 9). We therefore create the walls from a hard and heavy material like ma-
 sonry or thick wood. This also aids in keeping external sounds outside of the 
performing space. Thin materials such as glass have the effect of transmitting 
the sound waves out of the performing space and do not reflect sound well. By 
adding sound reflecting materials to the space one also allows for the greater 
reflection of sound ? this proves valuable in larger halls while it could be a detri-
 ment to smaller more intimate halls (which would require more absorbers). By 
adding reflecting materials above and behind a particular sound producer we 
are actually multiplying the waves generated by the source.
 Since there are many different types of musical styles with even more varying 
composition styles it makes no sense say whether reverberation is a good thing 
or a bad thing. This is because each style or composition has its own optimum 
reverberation time. In other words some musical compositions are dependent 
on the reflected sound while others need the sound to be absorbed almost 
immediately. In fact Beranek explains that is it impossible to achieve ?perfect 
acoustics? for all sound types and calls it a faux pas because what may seem 
as a perfect acoustic condition to one sound or composition may perform the 
opposite to another (Beranek 1962: 6). 
_77
Above: Section through the ?Golden Hall?; the stage is slightly raised for good sight and sound lines; the height to 
length ratio is such that sound reflections occur at the optimum locations; balconies cantilevering over stage and 
audience cause early sound reflection in section (section after Beranek 1962)
 Above: Plan of the ?Golden Hall?; the width to length ratio aids with clarity and the optimum dispersion of sound; 
balconies aid on early sound reflection in plan (plan after Beranek 1962)
 Above: Plan of the ?Golden Hall?; the narrowness of the hall illustrates the level of envelopment caused by early sound 
reflection and the angle of the stage (plan after Beranek 1962)
 _78
It is perhaps with this note in mind that we can conclude that the basics of archi-
 tectural acoustics is really a systematic approach to determine if a specific type 
of sound can perform at an optimum in a given space. Since we have already 
determined that our main auditorium will be a mixed acoustic musical style au-
 ditorium we can make the assumption that the space has to cover a wide range 
of sounds ? from the beating of African drums to the sound of a violin to the 
sound of a santur1. This implies that the reverberation time of 1,5 - 2,5 seconds 
would be the preferable acoustic solution and that the interior dimension of the 
concert hall must be designed accordingly to suit this need.
 tHe golden HAll
 To illustrate the principles of architectural acoustics we will look at the interior 
design of the Vienna Grosser Musikvereinssaal by Theophil Hansen. The interior 
design is the rectangular shoe-box2 type with an overall capacity of 1744 (300 
standing) - it boasts a reverberation time of 2,05 seconds. The wooden floor of 
the concert hall is raised - separating it from the foundation thus acoustically 
insulating the hall. The hall has a lot of upper space volume with an articulated 
ceiling. No canopy exists over the stage and therefore there is not feeling of 
separation between the performer and the audience.
 1 The santur is a traditional instrument originating from ancient Persia. It is a stringed instrument 
played by means drumming the strings with a ?hammer?. It is a fascinating instrument to many because 
variations of the santur have also been found to exist in Germany, France, Scandinavia, Greece, Turkey, 
Egypt, India, China, Mexico and the US where it is called a hammered dulcimer. (Source http://www.luth.
 org/downloads/AL92/naini.htm) Cited 6 July 2008
 2 The shoe-box design was very successful during its time and at present many architects are 
referring back to it
 _79

07_situating music
South-West View (SCM 2008)
 South-East View (SCM 2008)
 _82
situating music
 North-East View (SCM 2008(
 West View (SCM 2008)
 _83
situating music
 Built Space (SCM 2008)
 _84
situating music
 Open Space (SCM 2008)
 _85
Aerial view of site in its context (Google Earth 2008)
 _86
situating music
 _87
Nodes and Networks (SCM 2008)
 _88
situating music
 Scale and density comparison of Wits Education Campus to Johannesburg CBD (After Google Earth 2008)
 _89
Building uses around site (SCM 2008)
 _90
situating music
 _91
View of city from site (SCM 2008)_92
situating music
 _93
Major transport links around site (SCM 2008)
 _94
situating music
 _95
Rendering illustrating edge-condition of the site and its surroundings (SCM 2008)_96
situating music
 _97
Topography of a Mucical Landscape (SCM 2008)
 _98
situating music
 lAndscAPe oF tHe wItwAteRsRAnd
 ?In contrast to the saturated cultural landscapes of the ?developed world?, the 
South African landscape is raw, primal and overwhelming in its relative empti-
 ness.? (Deckler, Graupner & Rasmuss: 1)
 Keith Beavon mentions that the Witwatersrand region has taken its name from a 
long broken ridge extending roughly east-west for 56 kilometers (Beavon 2004: 
3). In fact the origins of the word Witwatersrand can be traced to the Afrikaans 
meaning ?Ridge of White Waters?. Between the northern and southern ridges of 
the Witwatersrand is the watershed draining into two rivers and eventually two 
oceans ? the Atlantic and Indian. It was in this poetic topology of fluid move-
 ment that gold was found and the original mining camp which had replaced the 
farms became Johannesburg. Johannesburg itself however has no river in the 
romantic and traditional sense ? the Seine in Paris, Volga in Moscow, Yangtze 
in Shanghai and the Nile of Cairo. This is quite a fascinating phenomenon since 
most major global cities are or were at some point situated around a major 
water source ? Johannesburg was started as a result of the discovery of gold 
in 1886. Subsequently as more gold was discovered and mined the more the 
face and the topography of the region changed. Perhaps this is what makes 
Johannesburg unique in its topography. A large number of capital cities around 
the world have been developed from farms and more natural processes dealing 
with the steady growth of their populations while Johannesburg has been funda-
 mentally developed from rational and functional lines in order to maximize the 
productivity of the gold mining process.
 _99
Topography of Surroundings (SCM 2008)
 _100
situating music
 Parktown ? like its name suggests started as the wealthy residential haven of 
the rich and influential  residents of Johannesburg. When the site was chosen 
the idea was that the homes of the really wealthy would face north and the prize 
location for it was the Parktown Ridge (Ibid: 61). Here the Randlords could enjoy 
the views out towards the Magaliesberg mountains. Further suburban expan-
 sions seemed to radiate around this point. Parktown can therefore be envisaged 
as the original suburb of Johannesburg. Parktown now sits at the threshold of 
suburban and inner-city Johannesburg. 
This watershed forms an east-west belt which, coincidentally, is where the Uni-
 versity of the Witwatersrand and other major secondary and tertiary education 
campuses are found. Running parallel to this belt is Empire Road while the 
M1 Highway seems to dissect this watershed. The intersection of these arterial 
routes is best characterized by the ribbon shaped street and highway links. This 
belt also forms an edge condition between north and south Johannesburg as 
the building and population density gets higher towards the south ? inner-city 
and less towards the north ? suburbs. Therefore this location serves as point of 
intersection between various population groups in Johannesburg.
 ?Public spaces were (and still are) often connected to a city?s transportation 
network... The connection points between different networks were celebrated 
zones of public life and community building.? (Page and Phillips: 64). 
_101
The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra rehearsal at the Lindner Auditorium (SCM 2008)
 Panoramic view of athletics track and Johannesburg (SCM 2008)
 Panoramic view of athletics track and Johannesburg (SCM 2008)
 _102
situating music
 wIts edUcAtIon cAmPUs
 The University of the Witwatersrand Education campus, formerly the Johannes-
 burg College of Education is the site chosen for the fusion space. The main 
campus of the University of the Witwatersrand does no sit too far away and 
was once described by Jan Hofmeyr, its first Principal, as ?Barely a mile from 
the town?s centre and easily accessible from every part of it, yet isolated from 
the noisy bustle of its life, looking on the one side? to the dreamy distances of 
the Magaliesberg, and on the other over the industrial activity? placed for the 
linking together of the idealistic and the practical, which is not least among its 
tasks.? (Chipkin 1993: 77). 
This description can be interchanged with the Education Campus as it sits com-
 fortably on a hill overlooking Pieter Roos Park, Constitution Hill and the busy 
city to the south. To its north lies Johannesburg General Hospital. According to 
Chipkin both the Johannesburg Hospital and the former College of Education 
were built during the apartheid building boom during the 1970s ? for this many 
of the historic elite houses on the Parktown Ridge had to be destroyed (Chipkin 
1998: 264). 
The Lindner Auditorium ? the current home of the Johannesburg Philharmonic 
Orchestra sits on the northern edge of this campus. This venue ? seating 1059 
is well attended and performances are often sold out. Perhaps the most im-
 portant reason attributing to the success of this concert hall is its location. The 
fact that it sits close to many arterial vehicular routes makes it easily accessible 
and gives it the advantage over other concert and performance venues. The 
fact that it sits on the threshold of the city attracts vast crowds from the various 
suburbs adjacent to Parktown and Braamfontein. On interviewing the students 
however it seemed like not too many were aware of its significance.
 The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra rehearsal at the Lindner Auditorium (SCM 2008)
 _103
Aerial view of the Wits Education Campus; 
the planning approach is linear belts of 
buildings (Google Earth 2008)
 Aerial view of the former RAU Campus; the 
planning approach is the bent-linear ap-
 proach demarcating central spaces (Google 
Earth 2008)
 Aerial view of the University of the Witwa-
 tersrand?s Main Campus; the planning 
approach was based on a symmetrical axis 
with pavilion type buildings on either side 
(Google Earth 2008)
 Aerial view of the University of Cape Town; 
the planning approach was based on the 
scattering of buildings along the contours of 
the site (Google Earth 2008)
 _104
situating music
 lAngUAge oF tHe wIts edUcAtIon cAmPUs
 In an interview with, Mr Bill Carter, the architect responsible for the master plan 
and building designs for the Education Campus, the following discoveries were 
made. Prior to the design of the campus the firm, Taljaard and Carter Architects, 
had been extensively involved in tertiary education planning - particularly in the 
UK.
 At the time (1970s) that the Education Campus was designed the Nationalist 
Government that was in power had already designed the Rand Afrikaans Uni-
 versiteit (RAU) - now part of University of Johannesburg) campus in the Aukland 
Park area. In an attempt to secure more English votes they decided to build an-
 other tertiary facility, with an emphasis on teacher training, in Parktown (suburb 
of the former English Randlords). During that period the country was facing a 
period of political tension and therefore the design of the new campus had to 
address this factor. As a result the issue of control of access and securing of the 
edges was given a lot of thought by the Architects - an example is that no linkage 
was made between the campus and the nearby Pieter Roos Park. 
The approach taken towards the master plan was the linear approach - where 
each building forms a linear belt responding to the pedestrian and vehicular 
axes on plan - the result: long linear buildings. One can compare this with the 
University of the Witwatersrand?s campus where a centrally strong axis was cre-
 ated along the central block and library gardens with scattered buildings on 
either side. The RAU campus was planned along a bent-linear approach while 
the University of Cape Town has scattered buildings following the contours of 
the site. 
_105
Top left and bottom left: View onto court-
 yard space between education blocks 
and University Residances, top right and 
bottom left: View of courtyard in the Har-
 old Homes Library, center: End-point of 
pedestrian axis - the Lindner Auditorium 
and lawns (SCM 2008)
 _106
situating music
 The initial design concept for the campus was to create an integration of living, 
learning and recreation facilities. Therefore links were created by mean of bridg-
 es and green routes from one building to the other in an attempt to separate the 
classrooms from public activities. 
The extensive usage of brick and concrete on the facades and structure of the 
buildings give a brutalist feel to the campus but were in fact used as a durabil-
 ity consideration. The architect explains that they were influenced particularly 
by the architecture of Louis Kahn, John Fassler and Le Corbusier. The extensive 
usage of off-shutter concrete and pre-cast brick meant that less time was spent 
on the construction of the facades and no additional man-power was used than 
necessary. 
To conclude when asked what he could change about this campus if he could 
redo the planning of it, Mr Carter replied by commenting on the lack of public 
?real? student spaces that currently exist on the campus. He then commented 
that this lack of student space then makes the campus lack a sense of ?place?. 
An example of this is how the long axis leading towards the Lindner Auditorium 
is lost either because of the choice of placement of the auditorium or because 
of the parking lot placed in front of it. He ended by commenting that the Lindner 
Auditorium was not designed by his firm. 
_107
Panoramic view facing North-East onto Education Campus (SCM 2008)
 Activities in the Park (SCM 2008)
 Rendering of the two sites with current JDA development on Pieter Roos Park (SCM 2008)
 _108
situating music
 PIeteR Roos PARk
 Pieter Roos Park was initially chosen as the site for the fusion space, however 
due to the lack of green open land in the city this plan was problematic and 
actually led me to choose the current athletics field at the southern edge of the 
Education Campus. This new site actually overlooks the park and provides op-
 portunities of linking the campus with the city. The newer site also provides the 
opportunity to integrate the fusion space with an existing piece of urban fabric.
 South of the Education Campus lies Pieter Roos Park. It was first chosen as the 
site for the fusion space also for its prime location as being on the edge of the 
inner-city and the suburbs. As the research progressed it was decided to move 
away from the site as it is a valuable green leisure spot in a dense area of the 
city. Further exploration of precedents also gave valuable insight into the choice 
of a site adjacent or on the edge of the park as many great concert halls are 
usually situated on the edge of parks.
 The criminal aspect of the park was also identified as it is not safe to walk 
through during the day let alone at night. It is hoped that by moving to a higher 
ground (in the Education Campus) the criminal aspect also be dealt with as 
move visibility is created onto the park. It then became apparent that the fusion 
space also be designed in such a was that it not only relate to its adjacent build-
 ings (in the Education Campus) but also to the nature in the park.
 _109
Proposed Spatial Development Framework for the Education Campus 
(University of the Witwatersrand Property & Infrastructure Management Division and GAPP Architects 2008)
 Proposed new aspects to affect the future of the Education Campus (SCM 2008)
 _110
situating music
 URBAn FRAmewoRk PRoPosAl
 GAPP Architects/Urban Designers are currently working with the University of 
the Witwatersrand?s Property and Infrastructure Management Division on the 
Campus framework of the Education Campus. Although this is an ongoing proj-
 ect the latest scheme was provided after an interview with Mr Emmanuel Prin-
 sloo who is the Director of the latter University Division.
 The relevance of this scheme towards the design aspect of the thesis is two-
 fold. Firstly when the scheme was looked at it was felt that it would be the 
scheme that will be adopted and worked with on the design of the fusion space. 
Secondly the scheme also provided the design with various opportunities of 
opening up the campus as an events and performance space as this is one of 
the aims of the design.
 At present according to Mr Prinsloo, there is the need for more parking on the 
campus therefore there will be new parking lots placed between the education 
blocks as well the design of the Nelson Mandela Children?s Hospital - proposed 
for the north-west corner of the campus. There are also plans for new bus-stops 
along the edges of the campus as stops for the new BRT Reya Vaya (secondary 
vehicular linkage to the Gautrain) and the Metro Bus.
 In term of upgrading of the security entry point off of St Andrew?s Road it is 
planned that a new campus edge component be put into place on the existing 
parking lots on the southern edge of the campus - this would then facilitate the 
removal of a portion of the fencing on that edge.
 _111
4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
 10
 _112
1
 2
 4
 5
 1
 2
 3
 3
 7
 _113
 situating music
 (SCM 2008)
_114
4
 5
 6
 7
 _115
 situating music
_116
8
 9
 10 _117
 situating music
_118
_119
 situating music
 (SCM 2008)

08_five	precedents
Main auditorium of the Berlin Philharmonie (Blundell-Jones 1995: 181) 
First level of the Berlin Philharmonie (Blundell-Jones 1995: 180) _122
five	precedents
 Since the design of the fusion space is a complex process certain precedents 
have been chosen in order to help us understand the various elements involved 
in the creation and unfolding of the bigger picture. We have picked five prec-
 edents to look at for the design of the fusion space.
 BeRlIn PHIlHARmonIc conceRt HAll: 2220 seAts
 The Berlin Philharmonic Concert Hall was completed in 1963 by Hans Scharoun. 
In 1957 Scharoun wrote, ?The most immediate consideration was this: is it mere 
chance that, whenever people hear improvised music, they immediately gather 
round in a circle? I set myself the task of translating to the concert hall this quite 
natural process, whose psychological aspect everyone can understand. The mu-
 sic should also provide the spatial and visual focus.? (Burkle 1993: 121)
 The design of the concert hall was developed from the inside out in order to ac-
 commodate for the maximum number of seating while keeping the circulation 
spaces and the acoustic integrity of the auditorium at an optimal level. The re-
 sulting asymmetrical space exemplifies Scharoun?s ideals of a community of lis-
 teners grouped around a space. No audience member is more than 35 meters 
away from the central podium (Ibid: 122). Scharoun himself said the following 
about the design, ?The orchestra and conductor stand spatially and optically in 
the very middle and if this is not the mathematical centre? Here you will find no 
segregation of ?producers? and ?consumers? but rather a community of listen-
 ers grouped around an orchestra in the most natural of seating arrangements 
(Jones 1995: 178). What is also remarkable is that the auditorium is completely 
raised above the main foyer ? this determines the easy flow of people at street 
level and leaves enough spaces for the various stairways leading to the audito-
 rium.
 _123
Ground & third level of the Berlin Philharmonie (Blundell-Jones 1995: 180) 
Section along central axis of the Berlin Philharmonie (Blundell-Jones 1995: 182) 
_124
five	precedents
   Scharoun worked closely with Lothan Cremer, a pioneer acoustician, who con-
 stantly reminded him of the various issues demanding optimum sound quality. 
From an acoustic point of view the following are the advantages in the design of 
Scharoun. Firstly complex forms were preferred over a pure circular and a pure 
rectangular plan. The former because its concave surfaces reflect sound to a 
focus rather than dispersing it, the latter because parallel surfaces promote 
standing waves and flutter echo (Jones 1995: 182). Parallel walls are therefore 
avoided while also in plan the small end (the west walls) is inverted ? had it 
been flat it would have acted as a direct reflector down the axis causing an echo. 
On the opposite end where the hall becomes asymmetrical it is angled rather 
than placed perpendicular to the axis ? for similar reasons of avoiding direct 
axial reflection.
 In section the ?tent? roof is convex and therefore disperses reflected sound very 
effectively. Hanging sound reflectors are added to interrupt some of the sound 
in the most concave area and transmit some upward sound directly back to 
the audience. This is because at its most concave point ? the rood acts as a 
collector of sound and could cause undesirable focus (Ibid: 183). In addition to 
the general shape the details of the interiors are also irregular, and the fronts 
of the seating terraces provide surfaces for early reflections which are vital to 
the acoustic performance. Each terrace of seating slopes in both planes; so 
hardly any surfaces are horizontal or vertical ? this is to disperse reflections of 
sound. 
_125
_126
five	precedents
 Aerial image of Berlin Philharmonie on site and placed on proposed site (After Google Earth 2008) 
_127
Top left: Diagram illustrating two main levels of the Festival Hall (Hawkes 2007: 59),
 top right: diagram of the design concept of the ?egg in the box?,
 middle and bottom: diagrams of the approach and entry into
 the building  and the concert space (Parish 1951: 48-49) 
_128
five	precedents
 tHe RoYAl FestIVAl HAll, london: 3000 seAts
 Completed in 1951 by Leslie Martin of the London County Council, the Royal Fes-
 tival Hall ?is the pioneering building responsible for the thriving cultural scene 
on the South Bank of the Thames? (Hilferty 2007: 34). The festival hall is better 
known for its ?egg in the box? design which insulates the auditorium from exter-
 nal noises. The space between the egg and box is big enough to accommodate 
for other activities around the auditorium. The ?egg in the box? concept serves 
two purposes. Firstly, from plan view, it was meant that transparent enclosure of 
the foyer and cirulation spaces act as buffer to the external sounds of the city. 
Secondly, from a sectional view, it made the building accessible from both the 
ground level but also the higher level of the pedestrian bridge connecting to the 
railway lines nearby.
 Like the Berlin Philharmonic it has a raised auditorium with a large foyer space 
underneath ? on the same level as the street. In an essay by Adrian Forty, en-
 titled The Royal Festival Hall ? A ?Democratic? Space?, the foyer is well ex-
 plained: ?The foyer is a single, undivided volume that fills the entire limits of the 
building; and standing in it, beneath the auditorium that rests on piloti, one is 
drawn in every direction ? up, down and laterally ? by the succession of stairs, 
landings and voids that fill the interior? (Forty 2002: 201).
 More importantly ?it is one of the very few large public interiors that you can be 
in without becoming the subject of some controlling interest; unlike the typical 
public spaces of modernity ? shopping malls, station concourses, airports, art 
galleries ? there is no requirement to become a consumer, no obligation to fol-
 low a predetermined route through the building to some ultimate goal. You can 
simply be in it? (Ibid: 201-202). ?Whoever you are, once you enter through the 
original entrance at ground level, and stand with the space unfolding in front 
_129
Cross section through the Royal Festival Hall (Hawkes 2007: 62-63)
 Cross section through the new auditorium of the Royal Restival Hall (Hawkes 2007: 63)
 _130
five	precedents
 of you, beside you, and above you, the volume is yours and yours alone? (Ibid: 
207).
 Unlike Scharoun?s masterpiece however its acoustic qualities were quite poor 
and had to recently undergo heavy alterations by architects Allies and Morrison 
to make the auditorium acoustically pleasant, it reopened on June 2007.
 ?The most radical change to the appearance of the hall is the new orchestra can-
 opy? (Hawkes 2007: 66). After research by acousitc consultants Kirkegaard As-
 sociates it became apparent that the form and material of the canopy were the 
principal causes of the difficulties experienced by onstage musicians in hearing 
each other. This canopy was replaced by a new flexible fabric structure. 
Other changes to the interior of the auditorium included change in wall lining 
materials and replacement of the seats. These material changes control the 
acoustic aspects of the hall by adding ?halo? to the sound and improving the 
bass frequencies. Therefore the changes made had the aim of reducing the ab-
 sorbing of low frequency sounds by adding solid construction behind the visible 
surfaces, changing the seating rake and reconstructing the cieling.
 It is interesting to note that since the time of Wallace Clement Sabine until today 
the two main variables influencing the acoustics in a room have remained the 
shape (including size) and the materials (including furnishings).
 _131
_132
five	precedents
 Aerial image of Royal Festival Hall on site and placed on proposed site (After Google Earth 2008) 
_133
Top left: Casa da Musica next to park, top right: second entry level to Casa da Musica, 
bottom: street level access with periphery functions (OMA 2005: 99 -104)
 _134
five	precedents
 cAsA dA mUsIcA, PoRto: 1300 + 350 seAts
 Built by OMA/Rem Koolhaas in 2005, ?the concert hall stands as a large rock 
with plain faceted angular surfaces, sunk into a plinth? (Appleton 2008: 27). The 
building sits in a block of land adjacent to the Rotunda da Boavista and chose 
a different approach in terms of its relation to the park than the other buildings 
around the park. ?OMA chose not to articulate the new concert hall as a seg-
 ment of a small scale circular wall around the Rotunda da Boavista but to create 
a solitary building standing on the new, more intimate square? (OMA 2005: 97). 
?With this concept, issues of symbolism, visibility and access were resolved with 
one gesture. Through both continuity and contrast, the park on the Rotunda da 
Boavista? is not longer a mere hinge between the old and the new Porto, but it 
becomes a positive encounter of two different models of the city? (Ibid: 97). 
This concept is emphasized best by the left-over or periphery spaces on the site. 
Since the major part of the concert hall is massed in the center of the block 
the spaces surrounding it serve as the secondary serving spaces such as foy-
 ers, a restaurant, terraces, technical spaces and vertical transport. ?A continu-
 ous public route connects all public functions and ?remaining spaces?, located 
around the Grand Auditorium by means of stairs, platforms and escalators: the 
building becomes the architectural adventure. The loop creates the possibility 
to use the building for festivals with simultaneous performances: the House of 
Music? (Ibid: 97). The surrounding facilities and circulation also act as sound 
buffers.
 _135
Longitudinal section through Casa da Musica showing interior spaces and relationship to context (OMA 2007: 211)
 Diagrams showing circulation routes in the Casa da Musica (OMA 2007: 211)
 Plan and 3D view of structural system of Grand Auditorium in the Casa da Musica (OMA 2007: 226)
 _136
five	precedents
 According to OMA, ?this century has seen an architecturally frantic attempt to 
escape the tyranny of the notorious ?shoe-box? shaped concert hall. However, 
after researching the acoustic quality of existing concert halls we had to con-
 clude together with our acoustic specialist that the best halls in the world have 
a show box shape. This left us with the question: Where to innovate in a case of 
a traditional typology like the concert hall?? (OMA 2007: 210). They explain that 
they considered their building as a solid mass which was hollowed out by the 
audiorium with the remaining facilites making up the rest of the massing. 
?Instead of a struggle with form, we have addressed the relationship between 
the Concert Hall and the Public. Most cultural institutions serve only part of a 
population. A majority knows their exterior, only a minority knows what it feels 
like inside? (Ibid 211). 
From a structural point of view what makes the building remarkable is the sep-
 erate structural system dedicated to the Grand Auditorium. In other words the 
column system of the auditorium differs to that of the rest of the building - em-
 phasizing the importance placed on the auditorium and ensuring its acoustic 
integrity minimizing external vibrations and movements.
 The building is also known for its ability to capture views on the city with its ex-
 tensive use of glazing at certain spaces and its ability to integrate the terraces 
into the building?s circulation.
 _137
_138
five	precedents
 Aerial image of Casa da Musica on site and placed on proposed site (After Google Earth 2008) 
_139
View of Jay Pritzker Pavilion adjacent to Millenium Park (Gehry 2005: 56)
 Site plan of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion (Gehry 2005: 57)
 Elevation of Jay Pritzker Pavilion (Gehry 2005: 54)
 _140
five	precedents
 JAY PRItZkeR PAVIlIon, cHIcAgo: 4000 seAts
 Distinctively a Frank Gehry sculptural piece of architecture, the Pritzker Pavilion, 
is situated as the center piece in Millennium Park. ?The Jay Pritzker Pavilion is 
an open-air venue featuring performances by the Grand Park Symphony Orches-
 tra, as well as jazz, blues, and other world music performances? (Gehry 2005: 
54). 
?The Pavilion features a series of portable risers that will accommodate an or-
 chestra of up to 120 musicians, and a choral terrace that will accommodate a 
choir of up to 150 members? A decorative lighting system enhances the Pavil-
 ion with colored light washes and projections during evening performances? 
Seating for the audience is provided in two areas. The main seating area accom-
 modates up to 4000 people in fixed seats and is located immediately adjacent 
to the Pavilion?. A lawn area accommodates up to an additional 7000 people 
in a more informal environment? (Ibid: 54).
 In section the roof of the pavilion not only covers the stage but also hosues 
lighting and sound equipment. It is also high enough to house a large screen 
and projector for audience memebers to enjoy. The stage of the pavilion can 
be closed by means of glazed sliding panels, allowing the stage to be used for 
banquet events and other social functions in the evening. 
_141
Above: Images from the Grant Music Festival happening annualy at the Pritzker Pavilion (http://www.grantparkmusic-
 festival.com/index.shtml)
 _142
five	precedents
 The Pavilion is unique by the fact that it allows for various performance types, 
which are often free, to take place in the outdoor park setting. What is also 
interesting to note is the BP Bridge to the north of the pavilion ? also designed 
by Gehry ? that connects Millennium Park to the adjacent Daley Bicentennial 
Bridge. The BP bridge is both a connector and a viewing platform. During con-
 certs the bridge is used as control point of access as many use it to cross the 
multilane Columbus Drive into the Pavilion. 
Currently the Pavilion is the home of the Grant Park Music Festival - an annual 
festival that has happened in Millenium Park in Chicago since 1935. Therefore 
the Pritzker Pavilion is the third such structure that has historically been placed 
in Millenium Park for this festival. 
The location of the Pavilion on Millenium Park and next to Harris Theater makes 
it the ideal location for the gathering of different groups of people in Chicago. 
Therefore it is common that events ranging from grand concerts, to plays and 
even fitness sessions take place in and around the Pavilion.
 _143
_144
five	precedents
 Aerial image of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion on site and placed on proposed site (After Google Earth 2008) 
_145
From left: View on entering the gathering space, view from inside the sanctuary, view of the gallery of leaders (SCM 2008)
 Panoramic view of the sanctuary and main gathering place (SCM 2008)
 Conceptual rendering of Phase 1 of Freedom Park showing the landscaping architectural interventions (http://www.
 mashabanerose.co.za/projects/images/fp13.jpg)
 _146
five	precedents
 FReedom PARk, PHAse 1, PRetoRIA
 GAPP Architects and Urban Designers, MMA Architects and Mashabane Rose 
Architects worked as a collaborative team on the design of Freedom Park in Sal-
 vokop, Pretoria. The entire project has not yet been constructed and a research 
tour was set up to investigate the value of the park as a public space.
 On entering the site one is greated by an array of security gaurds and is asked 
to make a booking time to visit in order for a tour guide to be made available. 
It is not as ?free? to the public as the name suggests. One then drives up a hill 
towards the main reception where we wait for the next aviailable tour guide to 
welcome us. 
The mission of the park is ?to provide a pioneering and empowering heritage 
destination that challenges visitors to reflect upon our past, improve our pres-
 ent and build on our future as a united nation? (Freedon Park Trust, 2004).
 The two phases which have been completed are the Isivivane, ?a final resting 
place for those who sacrificed their lives in the pursuit of Freedom?, and the 
Isikhumbuto, ?the Place of Remembrance; which includes the ?wall of names?, 
the sancutary and main gathering place, a gallery of leaders and Moshate, ?a 
hospitality facility for presidential guests and dignitaries? (Louw (ed.) 2007: 
20).
 The development is placed on a hill so that the important views of the Unioin 
Buildings and the Voortrekker Monument are recognized. Currently there is one 
genreal approaches towards Isikumbuto. This first being a spiraling path taking 
the person on a journey through ?wall of names? and other symbolic spaces. 
_147
Left: Conceptual rendering of Phase 1 of Freedom Park showing the landscaping at the walls of Sikhumbuto and the gathering space 
right: rendering showing wall of names at the south with its contemplative chamers along the path (Mashabane Rose & Associates et 
al. 2005: 9-10)
 _148
 Above: Plan of upper level of Isikhumbuto with the perfomance space on the west, the level above the inner sanctuary 
is part of the continual landscape towards the north (Mashabane Rose & Associates et al. 2005: 16)
 Above: Plan of lower level of Isikhumbuto with the sanctuary carved into the hillside towards the north, the exhibition 
and indoor meeting gallery space on the west (Mashabane Rose & Associates et al. 2005: 16)
five	precedents
 The usage of African metaphors and symbols were made evident during the 
tour and give a sense of narrative to the visitor as one journeys through their 
spaces. Perhaps the most impressive of these metaphors is the usage of long 
steel ?reeds? to define the spaces of the Isikhumbuto; and even demarcates an 
exterior public gathering space and amphiteater. ?According to African spiritual-
 ity, reeds are a conduit between earth and the ancestors and signify the emer-
 gence of new life? (Ibid: 21). These various elements are then connected by the 
spiral path leading one on a journey up the hill to the sanctuary housing the 
eternal flame. Along this path one finds hollowed out spaces which are carved 
into the hill. It is the intention that these spaces house different elements, from 
music to poetry and touch screens showing information about the park and the 
people who died in the various wars in South Africa.
 The amphitheater space facing onto the sancatuary is landscaped to allow for 
viewing towards the sanctuary and to create a space of gathering. Below this 
to the west is the gallery and exhibition space - carved into the hillside and cov-
 ered by a slanting off-shutter concrete roof. Structurally this roof is supported by 
wall-like concrete columns and is cladded on the exterior with quartzite stones. 
_149
_150
five	precedents
 Aerial image of Freedom Park on site and placed on proposed site (After Google Earth 2008) 
_151

09_brief/program
_154
_155
Orlando Govo is my next-door neighbour from Maputo at International House Residence. He often spends endless 
hours ?jamming? away and keeping me awake with his music (SCM 2008)
 ?I need a place to meet students like myself and just ?jam? with them...?
 _156
brief/program
 PeoPle
 Several interviews were conducted during the course of the research. Students, 
lecturers, musicians, university staff and members of the general public were 
approached with one objective in mind: To find out what the people want and 
what the people need at this time in order for the culture of music and its perfor-
 mance to be nurtured and be kept alive. Since the site selected is the University 
of the Witwatersrand Education Campus the majority of people directly affected 
by the fusion space would be the students themselves.
 Findings from an interview with Orlando Govo, a Performing Arts Honours Stu-
 dent at the University of the Witwatersrand:
 It was interesting to interview Orlando because he filled me in on a lot of what 
goes on behind the scenes in the general life of a performer. Although he is a 
dramatic arts student and not a music student he has been asked on several 
occasions to perform with the Music School Productions because of his pas-
 sion for music. He explained that it was not until he was formally approached by 
the Music Department that he realized how much hidden talent and potential 
he had in playing and singing with the guitar. He was subsequently invited to 
other Music School Productions. He explains ?there needs to be space in the 
curriculum for students like myself to be able to explore other performing arts... 
specially music as it is such a diverse and interconnected field... I need a place 
to meet students like myself and just ?jam? with them... The music school is a 
great place to do that but you find a lot of times that there is already a practice 
session going on and we have to play outside by the theatre with the other noise 
and activities around us? (Govo 2008). As a result of many discussions with Or-
 lando and other students the idea of what the fusion space was supposed to be 
about became evident.
 _157
?The	traffic	gets	very	heavy	during	the	mornings...	we	need	
 to	provide	a	solution	to	the	heavy	congestion	at	the	security	
 points during these times?
 ?The cafeteria and student centre is too small and now in 
summer its also getting too hot?
 ?I enjoy running here for my shcool... it makes me feel pro-
 fessional...?
 ?This	campus	is	boring...	we	are	even	getting	bored	of	the	
 same food at the cafeteria?
 ?I dont like that I can?t walk to the nearby park during the 
day as I really enjoy the green feel of the campus?
 ?I spend most of my time in the library here as it quieter 
than at medical school...?
 Gabriella Verdonese is an Education Campus 1st year student
 Elliama Lepere is an Education Campus 2nd year student, she 
lives at Medhurst Students? Residence
 Bevin Klaasen is a high school student from Marist Brothers? 
College in Linmeyer
 Samuel Ndlovu is security guard working at the Education 
Campus
 Lerato Motshuane is an Education Campus 1st year 
student
 _158
?The cafeteria and student centre is too small and now in 
summer its also getting too hot?
 ?I dont like that I can?t walk to the nearby park during the 
day as I really enjoy the green feel of the campus?
 ?I feel that the transformation in terms of bringing better 
facilities	to	this	campus	has	been	very	slow	in	comparison	
 to main campus...?
 ?I spend most of my time in the library here as it quieter 
than at medical school...?
 ?...You know I had a terrible expereince once with a stalker 
following me from the nearby park...?
 ?I do music as a major here so it would be nice if could actu-
 ally witness some music for myself instead of just reading it 
in a book?
 ?The biggest excitement for me here is the pool table in the 
cafeteria...?
 Elliama Lepere is an Education Campus 2nd year student, she 
lives at Medhurst Students? Residence
 Nikita Abrahams is a 2nd year Occupational Therapy 
student, studying at both the Medical School and the 
Education Campus
 Nicolette Anastassopoulos is an Honours student at the 
Education Campus as well as a teacher at Northwest 
School in Northcliff
 Joseph Wilson is an Education Campus 1st year student
 Muzi Nkosi is an Honours student at the Education Campus and 
was on the Campus? Student Representative Council in 2007, he 
lives at Parktown Village Students? Residence 
Melony Petropoulos, is an Education Campus 1st year stu-
 dent, majoring in music and travels from Krugersdorp every 
day
 brief/program
 (SCM 2008)
 _159
?I go to Campus Square during lunch and breaks as there 
is	more	of	a	student	vibe	over	there?
 ?Residence life here is a little dull... I spend most of my 
time in the gymn?
 ?Students	never	go	into	the	Lindner	Auditorium,	we	aren?t	
 even	aware	of	their	performances?
 ?The athletics track here is great because it can seat much 
more people than any other track around here?
 ?...	Look	on	the	bright	side	-	at	least	all	we	can	do	here	is	
 study!?
 Nthapiseng Llale is an Education Campus student
 Jadine Shrimpton is an Education Campus 1st year 
student
 Bajabulile Shabangu is a 1st year Civil Engineering student at 
Main Campus, she lives at Medhurst Students? Residence
  Xolani Sithenjwa is an Education Camus Student living in 
Ernest Oppenheimer Hall Students? Residence
 Jude Pallini is a high school student from Marist Broth-
 ers? College in Linmeyer
 _160
?Students	never	go	into	the	Lindner	Auditorium,	we	aren?t	
 even	aware	of	their	performances?
 ?It	would	be	nice	to	have	atleast	one	ATM...	I	hate	having	
 to go outside to withdraw my money?
 ?The athletics track here is great because it can seat much 
more people than any other track around here?
 ?The running track here is great because it is the nearest grass 
track in the area, this is perfect for endurance training, unlike 
the rubber tracks used for competitions?
 ?We need a socializing room or lounge to meet other students 
and spend our inbetween-class times?
 ?I	play	the	piano	at	my	school...	I	would	love	to	perform	live	
 one day at a grand concert hall?
 Bernicca Mashava is a University of Johannesburg 
Student who uses the running tracks at the Educa-
 tion Campus every day
 Kaylee Kokke is an Education Campus 1st year student, 
majoring in drama and travels from Krugersdorp every day
 Tumelo Rotshijana is an Education Campus 1st 
year student
 Nthapiseng Llale is an Education Campus student
 Jude Pallini is a high school student from Marist Broth-
 ers? College in Linmeyer
 Jude Morgan is a high school student from Marist Brothers? College 
in Linmeyer
 (SCM 2008)
 brief/program
 _161
Emmanuel Prinsloo is the Director of the Property & In-
 frastructure Management Division of the University of the 
Witwatersrand (SCM 2008)
 ?It must be one of the most frustrat-
 ing things... to be in Braamfontein or 
Parktown and not be able to get into 
the campus... It raises many questions 
about	what	we	as	a	university	stand	
 for...?
 The current main entry and security point at the Education Campus; one does not feel very welcome (SCM 2008)
 _162
brief/program
 tHe cAPsUle
 On interviewing the students at the Education Campus one gets the feeling that 
they live and learn in a space that is isolated - like a capsule. They are afraid to 
leave the campus without a car for fear of crime, they therefore have to resort 
to other ways to entertain themselves while not in lectures. The present student 
center and cafeteria is too small for them and does not offer a variety of activi-
 ties - the result: A perpetual life of repetition and as many point out ?boredom?. 
Since the security fences exist people from outside are also intimidated to enter 
and mingle with the students - similar to most campuses in Johannesburg and 
indeed South Africa. Another factor influencing the capsular lifestyle is the non-
 existence of a student atmosphere or even a social atmosphere where students 
can meet each other in a central location without the feeling of repetition. 
This is reality - and this is what De Cauter mentions is the ideal start to a capsu-
 larized society (De Cauter 2001). McLuhan defines that ?a capsule is a medium 
as environment? (McLuhan 1964). It is derived from the biological notion that 
any living organism is defended by means of membranes or shells. In this en-
 vironment people seek to find their heterotopias, this is defined by Foucault as 
?an existing but enclosed inversion of the continuous everyday space and order 
of things? (Foucault 1984: 47), in opposition to a Utopia, ?a non-existent inver-
 sion of real society? (Ibid: 47).
 The question then arises: if the campus is a protected capsular zone then what 
are we defending ourselves from? How do we create a non-capsular fusion 
space in an area of the city that the students are afraid to venture into and the 
University is still unwilling to bring the fences down for?
 _163
The view from the courtyard in International House Residence on Main Campus: Further capsularization within an 
already capsularized zone - a fenced off residence within an already fenced off campus (SCM 2008)
 Is this just a network of cocoons and isolated heterotopic spaces or is there a way to create fusion? (SCM 2008)
 _164
brief/program
 There is a large park lying to the south of the Education Campus: Pieter Roos 
Park - here there have been reports of many criminal activities - from mugging 
to vagrancy. Further south lies Hillbrow - another zone many fear to tread into. 
Manuel Castells refers to these zones as the fourth world, the place where ?the 
disconnected groups of the population? reside (De Cauter 2001: 124). It is not 
the intention of this research to go into the political and social aspects that 
causes capsularization but rather to deliver a point of view that is important to 
keep in mind since the primary objective of the fusion space is to create a space 
that is not capsular.
 Is tHe cAmPUs A mAll?
 Crime is an everyday reality in the City of Johannesburg and as such students 
like all other inhabitants of the city are affected by it and are in fear of it. Ac-
 cording to De Cauter this ?fear leads to capsularization and capsularization en-
 hances fear? (De Cauter 2001: 124). The inclusionary and exclusionary capsu-
 lar heterotopian systems are rampantly present in malls and golf estates all 
forming cocoons and envelopes in the chaotic world that is Johannesburg. More 
questions then arises: Is the university campus a mall? Should the environment 
where education takes place be a cocoon? If so then we can carry on with our 
lives and ignore the outside. If not how do we start decapsularizing the cam-
 pus? Do we capsularize, decapsularize or capsularize with moderation?
 Perhaps the answer lies in the other, non direct student components of the fu-
 sion space: the auditorium and the rehearsal spaces. With our previous look at 
interstitial spaces in the landscape we see a connection of creating a fluid space 
with various components floating in the membrane of the fusion space. The pri-
 vacy gradient between inside and outside is then self-determined by changes in 
the landscape?s levels and functions that regulate accessibility and usability.
 _165
_166
brief/program
 _167
 secURItY And PRIVAcY
 The main challenge of the site is the creation of a fusion space, which by defini-
 tion should be a fluid space that allows for the free movement of people through 
its spaces, and maintaining a level of security for the students and the cam-
 pus. 
The building?s spaces must therefore have a level of security but without the 
feeling of a controlled environment by the user.
 The first diagram on the left indicates the first concept of a continuous musi-
 cal landscape where the user is able to access the interstitial space from all 
sides.
 The second diagram aims to tighten the matrix of activity to allow for a more 
logistical approach to the programming.
 The third diagram starts to reshuffle the matrix in order to create specific access 
points that work more logistically with the program of the fusion space as well 
as the layout of the site - the Education Campus. 
Note that in all three above instances we are working with one grid that informs 
the layout of the matrix.
 In the final diagram when a second intersecting grid is introduced the functions 
are allowed to wander and rearrange themselves in the interstitial matrix of the 
fusion space. This then allows the opportunity of having two fixed access points 
that regulate the matrix and thus keeping the fluid nature of the fusion space 
in tact.
_168
brief/program
 _169
 Spaces on a musical landscape  - with their effects (SCM 2008)
_170
brief/program
 _171

10_making connections/croquis/concept
_174
_175
Digital Reinventions of a Fusion Space (SCM 2008)
 _176
making connections/croquis/concept
 Our study of music in the context of South Africa has taught us that music is ? 
one of the powerful tools that has historically brought people together. 
Our study of musical landscapes in architecture has taught us that the inter-? 
stitial spaces and design languages in buildings have the ability of shifting 
our perceptions of the inside and outside of a space. 
Our study of architectural acoustics has taught us of creating a performance ? 
space with a sound-proof cocoon environment while some of our precedents 
show the ability of creating the areas around the cocoon spatially interstitial 
so what one does not feel the intimidation of a concert hall. 
Our other precedents showed us the value of creating a gathering space ? 
which can accommodate for various performances on a larger scale.
 Our study of mimesis in architecture and music have taught us of the rel-? 
evance of perceptions of the user in terms of the architectural language of 
a fusion space. The architectural language is not the issue - the perception 
of it is.
 Our study of space and time taught us the essential role that architecture ? 
and music have in creating rhythm and movement in time. 
Our interviews with various students and professionals taught us the value ? 
of the common vision that currently exists of the Education Campus. While 
the study of the campus has taught us of the current security dilemma as 
well as the need to open up the campus.
 The studies all offer us with the clues necessary for the design of the fusion 
space...
 _177
_178
 Quick Reference: Current functions and build-
 ings in the Education Campus
 Quick Reference: Current university development 
framework proposal
 Quick Reference: The site in its context
making connections/croquis/concept
 _179
 Quick Reference: top; Drawing of the Education Campus with buildings, roads and contours, bottom; aerial view of the 
Education Campus showing the master planning linear building principles (Google Earth 2008)
_180
 Site intervention - shift the security gates to make campus 
more accessible to public, remove congestion on St 
Andrew?s Road (at present the gates are on edge of St 
Andrew?s Road), create linkage with Pieter Roos Park
 Site intervention - remove car park in front of student cen-
 ter and replace it with a new student plaza
 Site intervention - reinforce street edge and link from Pieter 
Roos Park to new student plaza, remove parking from west 
edge of street and create pedestrian link 
making connections/croquis/concept
 _181
 Site intervention - create new entrance and slip road from 
St Andrew?s Road specially for concert events and services, 
note level of entry is approx. 5m below level of existing 
campus road
 Site intervention - place new parking lot (to accommodate 
for concert audience) over the existing cricket stands
 The urban design approach of the project seeks to create a more public realm 
inside the Education Campus while keeping its security intact. It is therefore 
about strengthening the two axes that the building will form an edge to - St An-
 drew?s Road and the internal campus road leading to the Lindner Auditorium. 
The linear planning approach to the original campus master plan is looked at 
since the resulting buildings have long linear architectural forms addressing the 
two axes already mentioned.
_182
 The Fusion Space painting was 
done as an initial inspiration work 
to set the mood for what the design 
would be about - it was not meant 
to be a form generator but an 
interpretation of a piece entitled 
?Heaven and Earth? by Japanese fu-
 sion and new age composer Kitaro
 The concept behind the Fusion 
Space painting - the Landscape 
comes from the Earth, Heaven 
creates the energy and the Fusion 
Space is the connection between 
Heaven and Earth
 Reference to the ideas proposed for a continu-
 ous landscape to a Mobius Strip
making connections/croquis/concept
 _183
 Initial sketch concepts for the design 
Initial sketches addressing volumes and spaces for the fusion space - the proposal is to create an enclosure that 
facilitates the gradual movement from public spaces to more private spaces thus creating a gradual entry route 
through the building into the campus
 The initial landscape and architectural intention - the creating of a continuos fluid landscape that facilitated move-
 ment, gathering and spatial organization
The final Heaven and Earth conceptual sketch
 Southern edge of athletics track on Education Campus - entrance on St Andrew?s Road
 Step 1- identify part of site - mound on edge of St Andrew?s Road - purpose: create enclosure to the athletics track
 Step 2 - remove mound
 Step 3 - create new landscape and edge to the street
 Step 3 - place auditorium above new landscape_184
making connections/croquis/concept
 _185
 Strategy and intervention
_186 This first design option was about creating an enclosure around the athletics track. The concept here was to provide for two acoustic performance venues on either end of the site. The landscape of ramp platforms address the enclosure of 
the site and dip into the level of the athletics track by the removal of seating on the east edge of the track. At this stage 
in the research the athletics track was not looked at as an amplified performance venue therefore a permanent stage 
was not put in - instead a secondary ?black-box? performance venue was provided next to the new student plaza. 
making connections/croquis/concept
 One of the aims of the lanscape is to create an interactive edge to the Education Campus while keepings its security 
intact by means of gradual changes in level and function and thus the creation of a privacy gradient
 _187
 Sketch of the initial design concept showing the idea of closing off the athletics track to make it fully usable for vari-
 ous activities
_188
making connections/croquis/concept
 _189
 The next design concept saw the removal of the secondary auditorium as it became justifiable to have the Lindner 
Auditorium as a secondary performance venue. The next step was to remove part of the landscape system that was 
associated with the previously placed secondary auditorium in order to facilitate for a permanent pavilion type stage 
for outdoor performances. The stage area was to be covered by a new higher level bridging structure connecting the 
auditorium to the semi-sunken education component towards the north of the field. 
_190
making connections/croquis/concept
 _191
 The final design saw a tightening  of the activities during the planning process so that the education component of 
the design becomes part of the larger building?s space with the usage of its ramped roof as another entry point to the 
auditorium?s spaces. The raised promenade idea was therefore not necessary anymore and instead a raised deck 
was placed at the level of the street to house the permanent stage and its services for the amplified concert on the 
track. The auditorium?s envelope was also tightened and elongated at the St Andrew?s Road edge to accommodate 
for a bigger seating capacity. The aim of this design was also to leave the nothern edge of the track unbuilt as it 
curently a soft edge enjoyed by students and visitors - the intention is then to create an amphitheater here. 
_192
 The continuos landscape becomes fragmented to facilitate move-
 ment and the accommodation of more functions and space - it 
is also the creator of a new privacy gradient as it creates a self 
regulating pedestrian movement route. The idea of fusion then 
becomes evident as the two landscapes meet and create spaces 
between them
 Final spatial zoning configuration
Conceptual section through spaces parallel to St Andrew?s Road
 _193
 making connections/croquis/concept
_194
 Lower ground (St Andrew?s Road level) floor plan
making connections/croquis/concept
 _195
_196
 Upper ground floor (level of campus) plan
making connections/croquis/concept
 _197
 ?Where the crowds gather history is made?
 (Spiro	Kostov	1992)
_198
 Planning principles for lower ground and upper ground levels
making connections/croquis/concept
 _199
 Auditorium floor plan
 Conceptual section showing layering of the fusion space with a central core and stairway taking the person to the 
upper levels

11_fusion space
_202
fusion space
 _203
 Northwest View
_204
fusion space
 _205
 South View
_206
fusion space
 _207
 West View
_208
fusion space
 _209
 East View
_210
fusion space
 _211
 Northwest view of athletics track and grandstands on the Education Campus
_212
fusion space
 Northwest view of fusion space with athletics track
 _213
_214
 West ramp approach to upper ground level
_215
 fusion space
 Basement parking level -1 [-3750] - Scale 1:1000
 Basement parking level -2 [-6550] - Scale 1:1000
_216
_217
 fusion space
 Lower ground level plan [0] - Scale 1:1000
_218
 First floor level [+10000] - Scale 1:1000
 East ramp approach to first floor level
_219
 fusion space
 Upper ground level [+5500] - Scale 1:1000
 East ramp approach to first floor level
_220
_221
 fusion space
 East-West Section - Scale 1:500
 South facade
_222
_223
 fusion space
 East-West Section - Scale 1:500
 South Elevation - Scale 1:1000
_224
 Second floor plan [+16900] - Scale 1:1000
_225
 fusion space
 Western view along St Andrew?s Road
 Southeast approach to the campus along St Andrew?s Roead
_226
fusion space
 East-West Sectional Perspective
 _227
_228
fusion space
 Section through interior of auditorium showing acoustic capability
 _229
_230
 Northwest view showing levels and circulation around aditorium space
fusion space
 _231
 Northwest view showing exterior facades around audiorium space
_232 Building deconstructed
fusion space
 _233
 Southwest view with new parking over cricket grandstand from St Andrew?s Road

?If you think that what I say is true, agree with me; if not, oppose it with every 
argument and take care that in my eagerness I do not deceive myself and you and, 
like a bee, leave my sting in you when I go.?
 (Socrates,	according	to	Plato,	trans.	G.M.A.	Grube;	Kivy	2002)
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