Week 8

Sound and music has taken a crucial part of our surrounding areas. Architects are very well informed and concern about sound is important in design and how it will interacts with people the moment they step into architecture. Example can be seen in museums, restaurants and clubs. The volume of the music would either welcome or swap away a customer.

I was not aware of how the library system is changing until reading Shannon’s essay. The idea of librarians wearing pins saying “No Shh!’ is a very fresh idea to remind people not to make any noise in the library.

To me library is a very spiritual quiet place for students or anyone who wants to research and study in a quiet area. If library start having cafés it wouldn’t be the same, because it would have noises of the coffee machine brewing coffees, or mobile phones playing the latest hit songs. It would be such a distraction that irritates the people that are trying to study. Thus, a library would be the same as any other bookstore like barns and nobles with Starbucks inside. Architects should manifest a good incorporation of noise level in the library, I certainly don’ want a café or lounge in the library; it would destroy the total essence of the quietness in libraries.

“Physically, as well as conceptually, the distinction between sounds in space and sound signals in circuits fell away, as acousticians and sound engineers sought to achieve even great degrees of control,” architects now created sound proof walls to control volume to hold conversation in a certain level and certainly in places that are dedicated to music and theater. Technology is so advance nowadays, it has incorporated new sound system into old architecture like buildings, but yet it gives off a rather weird feeling to me because I think enjoy more the echoing sound in and old church or cathedral.

After visiting the Bloomberg headquarters. I thought it was pretty amazing of how all the sound system along with the visual tech effects was install was really well perform and had successfully enhance the environment of Bloomberg. It gives off a vibe of advance technology and wealth in the extravagant interior design that is very different from the Time Warner building, which looks empty and not functional at all, I certainly does not get the same energy from it. When big corporations have the money to build such spectacular buildings, they should consider involving the new media and implement structures that seem impossible to be build, it is a great way to perform how far technology can stretch nowadays.

Many cities and sites had the privilege to be picking as a stage for movies, and as movie is such a powerful communication, a particular scene in a movie would quickly instill in our memory. Films brings out a lot of character of a city, it could be places that even the locals who lived there for ages had never explore and experienced. The movie can bring out the beauty and the ugliness of a city depending on the way it is film along with the story line. It expresses the moods and atmosphere that the movie is trying to carry out. The architecture filmed in movies is manipulated and combing with many images that may be corresponding but look absolutely real to us. With the narrative, sound effects and lighting it creates different harmony as each scene transcend. Architecture would give publicity and popularity to the cities for example the tour Eiffel is often depicted and seen in romance film which makes it desirable for people wanting to go and search for it’s stability in real life.

The recent movie, Da vinci code caught my mind. The film was filmed in the Louvre in Paris, because of the controversy and success of the movie; it had definitely increased more visitors prior to its popularity. People were so drawn into the movie, and the Mona Lisa in particular. The image of how the curator were killed inside the louver seems mysterious, it aroused their curiosity, people wanted to experience this passage in the Lourve more personally. Thus, architecture helps represent the mood and scenarios happening in the movie and at the same time the film help expand and increased the under lying history of the architecture

After reading Patrick Keller’s essay, he points out the concept of film in general has an inherent structure. Architecture and cinema had a deep unwinding relationship that most of us can’t imagine. Architects and read estate agents can collaborated to create certain aesthetics, the vision and decision is still depending upon the architects, architects have always try to promote the stories in film with the space. Keller mention on Aragon’s “surrealist subjectivity,” and how in order to experience a film, we must deconstruct and suspend reality. The visual effects add to its aesthetic would create a powerful imprints in the publics mind. Keller points out 2 statements about color. He said in the beginning of color photography, “the camera became an instrument of criticism and color suits images of detail.” Meaning that color photography means realism and where the truth is each personal experiences. Realistic films in all creates people realities, this images are so phenomenal that they become the every day life images.

I perceived library as a spiritual space that allows one’s knowledge to flow in and out. A library has its own atmosphere that arouses a person to think and broaden his or her imagination. Most libraries have enormous spaces that allow people to read, research and study peacefully without any intrusion from the outside world. The function of a library is to offer a quiet place for people who are eager to learn.
Nowadays our society are too addicted to technology, when people wants to look for information in any topic r any subject, all they need to do is go on google, and type in the keyword phrase. Books have also been uploaded on to the Internet, for sale or reference, and the good old books are being taken over by the Internet. The Internet itself already represents a technological library for thousands and thousands of computer users out there; the library’s original purpose has been replaced, and its significance is slowly dying out. What people don’t realize is, however that books are trustworthier than any site you may come across. Authors spend years carefully putting a book together, with references and facts, and while the Internet may contain some factual information; others are just stolen from those authors or are mere information without any evidence supporting its origins.

Many people said that the internet would destroy books, people in the near future would no longer read books because they can get information easily on the web, information are accessible 24/7 without having the person to move and dig into which columns and rolls that specific book is located at. Yet, personally I think books contain sentimental value that often suggest meanings and can let alone become precious artifacts. Stories and facts reminds people of their deepest memoir, along with the smell that the covers and pages transcend, all this elements music that evokes nostalgic memories. Especially in the undeveloped countries, people do not get access to the internet because of their economic situation, books would be the other source to inform educate and inform them.

When play stations is suggest to be installing it is certainly demeaning. It does not fit to the whole environment, in addition it is most likely bringing a bad spirit that will invades the peacefulness in the library, it would generate bad vibe into library causing disturbance for people who are really there for the books. Books are educational resources and the play station is a source of entertainment. Although the media and library would work together to provide a better-educated world but surely not Play station installing in the library.

The purpose of design criticism is to give opinion and suggestion to the general public on appreciating the aesthetics through analytical explanation. Critics should bring forward reason and passion to understanding the real functions. Critics hold a lot of responsibility on sharing ideas.

There has been too much emphasizes on celebrities in the society, the media only focus on fame and lux and disregarding the architecture as an art form. It only looks at the surface, but does not go under what symbolic meanings it carries or the impact of the architecture as a whole. I agree that it should be entertaining but it shouldn’t go beyond the architecture boundaries. The culture of branding and showbiz had overshadowed what needs to be discussed.

A lot of this misconception of architecture has to do with the Web, which globally expose to the media; it has a huge impact on practice of critics on architecture.
People use to write formal critics educating the general public of the aesthetics and functions of architectures. They were to stimulate the culture, so that people can exchange ideas.

The way information is delivery was changed as well, people need to subscribe to a periodical that produce every week where as now people get information and involve in critism through the Internet in a split second. Architecture criticism thus has lost its true meaning. Is not longer exclusive and precious anymore because anyone can access to those information anytime. The Web has created a culture that include ideas coming from scatter parts that might no be relevant, but people are more conscious about the architecture that are built around us. Nevertheless, this culture that was created by the Web, had help critic to share their ideas globally but it also taken its preciousness that old journals offer.