How is it to live inside a musical instrument? The 2nd year students of the Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University started with this very question for their final project of “Music Appreciation” course. Each student was given the task of selecting a musical instrument that they would use as inspiration for creating an architectural space. They were given the liberty to use the whole section of their chosen instrument or use any portion from it. Music instruments are functional devices in their own ways. They are designed with proper material, hollow spaces, strings, etc. to create the best music possible. Similar is the case for Architecture. A piece of architecture must respond to its function, light, scale and evoke our senses just the way music does. Again, the sculptural form of each musical instrument creates interesting sections within which interesting architectural spaces can be perceived by adding levels, mezzanines, voids, etc.

The project was done in 2 phases. In the first phase, students studied their selected instruments thoroughly, their dimensions, typologies, use of context, materials, etc., and explored different sections of the instrument which can make interesting architectural spaces if scaled up. In the second phase, they created their desired architectural space within their chosen section of the instrument and presented their designed space with sectional models and hand-drafted sheets.

The results were magnificent. Choiti Khatun chose the Violin as her inspiration and bisected it. Then she took the longitudinal section of the bisected portion and designed a cave-like exhibition space manipulating the walls and floors within the section keeping the outer form intact only allowing light through a few punctures.

Maria Akther Nemni chose the Temple Block and worked with its longitudinal section considering each block as an individual space for individual exhibition. She then embedded her exhibition building within the topography of her hypothetical hilly site and further manipulated the section adding a few levels in the basement although the form of temple block was recognizable above the hill.

Md. Nuruddin (Riyaad) chose a Guitar and worked with its longitudinal section and designed a tourist hide-out located in a hypothetical tourist spot. Entering this space, tourists can enjoy rain, water, nature at multiple levels and also interact with each other.

Shariful Hoque Easin (Shashin) chose Cajon which has a container-like space in its section with a circular opening. To break the monotony of the single space, he created multiple spaces adding mezzanines and ramps. The resultant space is a multi-leveled exhibition space.