Variations on a Wave : A case for nature, music and concert halls - Norrland's Philharmonia and Music Centre

Sammanfattning: Music listening has experienced one of its major paradigm shifts in this latest generation, taking the step from analogue media into the digital sphere. Today a human can reduce stress levels by limiting noise and disturbances to shut away unwanted impressions, to find peace and tranquility or strength and courage. We as people find various ways of coping with the enormous mass of interactions we come by in modern society, as life in the 21’st century city is a far cry from our humble origins in caves and smaller villages. Through these mazes of the urban jungle we move like waves, opting most often for the path of least resistance, alike that of a dance or the wings of a bird in flight. This motion has caught the fascination of many artists whom have sought to illustrate their dimensional character, the fleeting beauty caught in that of a moment. A beautiful noise of the ocean swell that offer an escape from intrusive thoughts or the hum of a river, the circle of life in a stream of audiovisual harmony. Looking to examples of succesful musical education centres and how multi-purpose venues can blur boundaries so that more inhabitants can enjoy the wonders of live music . What lies ahead for shared musical experiences within public spaces now that we are rather more safe and sound than earlier in history? How will the digital generation change music at a fundemental level?           The thesis like the appended preparatory report tries to grip and understand through a transdisciplinary research method in what ways acoustical spaces in general and concert halls in particular can be designed in such a way as to enhance the experience of sound and nature. The human mind is an exceedingly complex machine that we still do not fully grasp but research finds more links between these cultural and creative parts of the brain, helping us as architects and urban planners make more grounded design decisions.