Architecture is Awesome #29: Frozen Music

Photo by Julio Rionaldo on Unsplash

This is another in my series of posts inspired by 1000 Awesome Things, the Webby Award-winning blog written by Neil Pasricha. The series is my meditation on the awesome reasons why I was and continue to be attracted to the art of architecture.   
 
The German poet, philosopher, and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said “Music is liquid architecture; architecture is frozen music.” There are several reasons why he compared architecture to music. Both are forms of art with the power to evoke emotions, create a mood, and convey meaning. Just as music uses rhythm, harmony, and melody to create a sense of order and structure, architecture uses form, space, and proportion to similar effect. Both can transcend language and cultural barriers. People from all backgrounds can enjoy and appreciate quality music of all forms and points of origin. Likewise, they can admire a well-designed building regardless of its particular style or provenance.   
 
Goethe cited the ancient Greek myths of Orpheus and Amphion, in which music is said to revive dead stones and tame wild beasts. Allegorically, music was the foundation for civilization and for building.
 
Though architecture may be frozen music, it is also dynamic. Buildings come alive under the play of light and shadows. They engage our senses visually, aurally, and haptically. Importantly, buildings interact with the people who use and move through them. Talented designers fully appreciate the power of architecture to enhance the full range of human experience.
 
In a way, architecture is like frozen music in that both can endure over time. Music is preserved through written notation, recordings, and live performances. A building remains a symbol of a culture and its history for many generations through the diligence of dedicated caretakers. People admire great music and architecture because both tell stories about themselves and the values they esteem. Great music and architecture are legacies of human expression that resonate through the ages. That both music and architecture touch upon the deepest aspects of being human is nothing less than AWESOME.
 
Next Architecture is Awesome:  #30 Connecting with Others