Tasked with designing a library in Rome, this project was explored against an individually defined brief. From a previous series of explorations, I chose to investigate the physical experience of music, that is lost in this digital media age. Housing a collection of vinyl within a central design feature, the vinyl staircase, the building also offers performance and recording spaces. The accumulation of these three programs, the vinyl library seeks to reinvigorate the lost physical experiences between the principal activities of music.
LISTEN / By viewing the building as one that had the ability to reunite music with the physical experience. Arguably the most important aspect of music is listening, and to accommodate this activity we would need a rational system that would allow ease of finding records, achieved by the vinyl staircase. After the user finds a record to their taste they would go to a listening space. The space on the vinyl staircase alongside the group and individual listening spaces would provide an adequate environment to enjoy the vinyl. Also as one of the goals of the library is to integrate the community with music there will also be an exhibition spaces.
RECORD / A building full of “visible connections”, I aim to create a place where music artists, who share the sentiment about vinyl and the importance of the physical connection with music, can come from around the world and record a vinyl that can be placed in the collection.
PERFORM / Finally, they should have a space for performance, the third key aspect of music, that allows the artists who just recorded to give a public performance. I envisage this to be a small and intimate yet it should still be greatly connected with the public to encourage them to come and listen to not just the vinyl but also the artists.
The Digital Vs Vinyl Process
