commodity, firmness, and delight in the music building

We explored circular structures at UNCG and how elements from ancient Roman architecture are apparent here today. These elements are those of commodity (function), firmness (structure and stability), and delight (aesthetics, form and surface). We roamed the campus on our Friday field trip, making stops at the MHRA building, the EUC, the library and the music building. In each was an echo of a circle that originated in the library's design. The location that continued to circulate in my mind like a song was the music building. Now let's break it down:


                                            


 Elements of Commodity:
This building is used mainly by those students studying music. The straight path and bridge lead the observer directly to the main entrance. The Inside has an inner area that leads to classrooms, practice rooms and offices. Benches outside encourage studying and the number of practice rooms pushes students to find a place here. The way that it is isolated from the rest of campus, and how one must cross a bridge to get there, insists that this is a place to get lost in and appreciate. The circles emphasize this importance, and add to the strong
sense of purpose and function.


                                                          

Elements  of Firmness:
The building's construction too is very strong. The brick is a continuity throughout campus, and with the concrete vertical stripes, the building looks almost fortified. However, the back of glass allows the light through without compromising the sturdiness of the structure.  The rings that "ripple out" of the building (as Patrick said of the rings inside the building) burrow into the ground, securing its place here.

            
                                                                                       

Elements of Delight: There are quite a few elements of delight present here, and the majority of them are incorporated into the design as circles. The entrance itself declares itself after a circle-lined bridge, with a circular structure that also dips to the ground in cement circlets. The cement circlets are continued on the ground of the music building. To the right of the entrance is a pond that is not only circular, but surrounded be stacks of stones shaped into half circles. The circles remind me of the music that is made here, the tunes looping through my mid and the somewhat circular melodies. The pond splashes melodically alongside, and seems to ripple through the entire structure.