Instrumental Architecture: Investigating the Live Music Venue as a Process of Gathering along the Halifax Waterfront

Abstract

This thesis aims to connect live music, people, and place in Halifax by approaching the live music venue as a process of gathering. This strategy builds upon Christopher Small’s concept of ‘Musicking’ by approaching the live music venue as an instrument. This approaches music as a process tangibly materializes through the physical experience of architecture. By drawing on Theodor Adorno’s theories on mass culture, and collective consumerism this architectural strategy responds to problematic behaviours curated by existing architectural acoustic strategies, concert architecture, and event of live music. This provides a theoretical position to architecturally respond to acoustic and sensory design directly through a human and musical perspective. Three interconnected public live music venues along the Halifax Waterfront are used to explore music as a process of gathering.