Zaha Hadid her ideas and architecture examined through musical composition final 24.05.2024

This is an interdisciplinary focus upon Zaha Hadid (ZH), the person, her ideas and architecture expressed through music as a portfolio of compositions. Information and mechanisms for these compositions are drawn from her biography, method of designing and final architectural realisations.

The approach adopted is holistic and subjective. A number of alternative approaches are examined. These by contrast are largely atomistic. They are taken together with running discussions prompted by the research and my ideas for alternative methodologies, forming suggestions for future research. Also, the specific techniques thrown up highlight the different holistic approaches, contrast own techniques adopted within the holistic methodology and form an internal fruitful dialogue, leading to conclusions on translation efficacy, in general, and of ZH.

This is intended as a initiating project where other composers are encouraged to add their contributions to musical responses to Zaha Hadid, either holistically and or atomistically.

The body of this research consists of finding information about Zaha Hadid that can be converted in some way, via translation, interpretation, representation and other mechanisms, to music. The mechanisms are like intermediary devices between the architectural object, or objects, or person, Zaha Hadid, to be translated, or portrayed and the means of translation. This is to aid quantification in an area that is generic. This is then carried out and expressed as a portfolio. Another way of seeing this is as praxis between pure theory and practice. Theories of and about ZH are then brought to reality in the music portfolio.

There is an inherent discussion about translation and transdicipliniarity within the context of ZH. Some observations in this connection are offered in the conclusions. Due to the interrelated complexity, the research can be read in several ways: about architecture, about Zaha Hadid, about the composer as interpreter and within a general enquiry of world problems raised by the double issue of translation, initially seen as a problem, and Zaha Hadid, her mathematical and spiritual questioning of the structure of the universe in relation to her unique avant-garde architecture.

The result is a wide ranging collection of compositions touching on issues of Zaha Hadid’s art, her inceptive design processes, influences and inspirations involving topology, space and her unique challenging viewpoints on architecture in a modern evolving world. She, in turn, is an inspiration, overcoming obstacles to become a successful progenitor of a world renowned architectural practice. This inspiration is evident in the compositions. Whilst the starting point emulates her predominantly abstract approach, the mechanisms form specific linkages for each musical realisation.

The final result is a personalised statement that encompasses several features of Zaha Hadid offered as a starting point in musical research about and evoking Zaha Hadid, or any person, addressed as a topic for translation. The main outcome is a proposition of translating a whole person, as compared and cross checked with an atomistic approach, also forming putative suggestions for further research in this atomistic way, or combined, across disciplines. It necessarily involves both abstraction and subjective interpretation, offering, within this context, a contribution to a translation discussion centring around issues raised by Walter Benjamin and my own perceived problems as outlined, then offering solutions.