1 July 2009 | Posted inBlog News & Updates
Food 4 Thought – If Michael Jackson’s music was architecture, what would it look like?
There is no doubt about the fact that Michael Jackson was a creative genius. Upon reflecting on his untimely demise last week, I began to think about the impact that he has had on the entertainment industry and pop culture around the globe. Without taking into consideration his infamous Neverland Ranch (MJ was not a designer), I would like to pose the question, “What would the architecture of Michael Jackson’s music look like?
These are the factors that I might consider when developing my theories about the answer(s) to this question:
1. His incredible talent and ability to literally move people all over the world.
2. His perfectionist nature.
3. His eccentricity.
4. His electricity.
5. His expressed encouragement of mastering one’s craft.
6. His creative evolution/diversity/range.
7. His passion/focus/intensity.
I believe that there is a relationship between architecture and music. There is an inherent rhythm and composition that makes each artistic expression either successful or unsuccessful. I’m not questioning whether or not a musician could be an architect, nor am I asking if an architect should be a musician. Rather, I’m contemplating the translation of one form into the other. What would a certain building/landscape/intervention look like if it were a song or an album? What would Central Park sound like? What about the U.S. Capital? Cranbrook? Falling Water? Villa Savoye? The Barcelona Pavilion? The Walt Disney Concert Hall? Conversely, getting back to the original question, what would the first Jackson 5 album look like? What about Thriller? Billy Jean? I’m Bad?
Just a little food for thought…If I were still in school, I would probably find a way to write a research paper on the subject, but given the time constraints, I figured that a blog entry would suffice. I vividly remember Prof. Jerry Wells talking with me about the relationship between jazz and architecture during my first semester in college. Who knew that eight years later, a similar concept would re-emerge as a topic of interest, prompted by the passing of the King of Pop. The underlying theme here is that music moves people, as does architecture (form+function). Michael Jackson’s work definitely moved people. What kind of architecture would embody the spirit/impact of his music? Has it already been built or is it still waiting to be discovered? Who’s bad?
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Considering the era, Falling Water was a thriller when it was built…predictable but true.
Interesting topic…I would also agree that Music and Architecture are quite related given the fact that both have rhythem, harmony, tempo etc.
If Michael’s music was transformed in to a spatial progressional graph,(Majority of his music) it would probably have a very dynamic entrance, a dynamic transition, with niches of subtleness. there would also be anticlimaxes such as in the case of “the way you make me feel” suddenly the music stops. and one is made to feel that the journey is over but to be overwhelmed by the fact a bit later that actually it was a pause for a greater ending.
the syndicate hooting and the “go on girl” of Jackson would probably be ornamentation which defines the entity as a whole, adding to its cohesiveness.
There would also be variety in his architecture.songs like billy jean would probably transform in architectural terms to transport terminals with their dynamic 4/4 beat, and fast pace. and also songs like “you are not alone” would transform to more calm and serene spaces. Songs like “history” would probably invoke a sense of pride, such as what you would feel inside a top notch government building with its brass wing melodies.
One can go on and on how to transpose his music into architecture. but I shall stop here. Thanks for the great post.
Btw falling waters compared to thriller?? that’s ridiculous…considering the spirit of falling waters, it would probably be a “childhood” or something similar.