The Cogan Center for New Music - Boston, MA
Robert Cogan's music, with its shifts in amplitude, serves as a conceptual foundation for this projects architectural design, encapsulating the interplay of Expansion and Contraction. In musical terms, his composition takes us through quiet, anticipatory phases akin to ascending a metaphorical sonic rollercoaster, building up to exhilarating crescendos marked by heightened amplitude. Translating this into architecture, we've crafted spaces that mirror this experience. Constricted areas, with limited light and lower ceilings, mimic the subdued moments, while expansive, well-lit spaces with soaring ceilings parallel the crescendos. The Cogan Library similarly employs this design language, incorporating natural light to amplify the effect. This design invites patrons to embark on a perceptual journey, mirroring the emotional dynamics of Cogan's music.
In this axonometric 3D rendering of the Cogan Center for New Music, we artfully delineate the architectural embodiment of Cogan's musical dynamism. Here, we draw a compelling parallel between the spatial transitions of "contraction" and "expansion" within the building and the amplitude fluctuations inherent in Cogan's musical compositions.
Much like the subtle crescendos and climactic peaks in Cogan's music, our architectural design orchestrates a choreography of space. The pathways leading to various program areas serve as the "contracted" spaces, invoking the hushed, anticipatory moments in his compositions. These corridors, with their constrained proportions and subdued lighting, mirror the subdued amplitude that characterizes the early phases of Cogan's musical narrative.
Conversely, as one progresses deeper into the building, we encounter the "expanded" spaces, mirroring the exhilarating crescendos of Cogan's music. These areas, notably the performance space and practice rooms, dramatically open up, revealing soaring volumes and abundant natural light. In doing so, they resonate with the heightened amplitude and thrilling climaxes found in Cogan's musical masterpieces.
This architectural narrative thus interweaves the experience of the built environment with the emotional dynamics of Cogan's compositions, inviting patrons to traverse a spatial symphony that mirrors the auditory journey in his music.
Drawings & Diagrams
