SAMUEL A. BUDIONO & ASSOCIATES
ARCHITECT/PLANNER/INTERIOR DESIGNER
SAMUEL A. BUDIONO - “Composing in Architecture”
"I enjoy designing dynamic and visually stimulating buildings as much as I enjoy improvising on my music. I see architecture as jazz music, it is about freedom to explore new ideas."
"My architecture is a joy to the senses and uplifts the spirit. It is about feeling. And that feeling is what we devote our lives to chasing, and to making possible."
~ SAMUEL A. BUDIONO
Why is improvisation important in jazz?
Improvisation is one of the defining elements of jazz.
Jazz improvisation is the spontaneous invention of melodic solo lines or accompaniment parts. Improvisation is composing music "on the spot" and is important in jazz since freedom and jazz go hand in hand.
What is the essence of your architecture?
My architecture is about motion. In the old days they had decorations. And since I'm a modernist I can't do decoration, so I've got to find something to put "feeling" into building and motion is one way. Just like putting music into architecture. And I play and improvise with that. When it works, it's feeling great.
How do you apply jazz music into your architecture?
I start a thing, I guess, like I fantasize jazz musicians do, where I get the program, I understand the problem, I understand all the issues and I have the language. And then I start. I let the idea moving freely. When the answer reveals itself in sort of a normal structure, then I kick it off. And I guess that's when I play off the beat just like jazz music. I try to find the way to stay away from a normally structured environment.
I try not just play right on the beat so the music is predictable and boring and doesn’t have that wonderful fluid motion. Instead, I try to put "syncopation" feeling of jazz music to make it swing. Therefore make my architecture has a soulful rhythm and carries a dynamic feeling.
How did your status as an architect, composer and jazz pianist influence your architecture?
I don’t think I would be doing architecture if I haven’t been a musician in my lifetime. You have to be able to create a series of drawings just like a musical score, you have to orchestrate it, you have to be able to communicate it, to conduct it. I never gave up music at all because music walks hand in hand with my architecture. You have to, first of all, listen to a place, you have to listen to the sound of a place, you have to get into the vibrations of the world, of the unique moment.
In my case the process of composing songs, arranging and improvising are the same as designing in architecture. Music and architecture complement each other.
How do you make your audience feel about your architecture?
The audience has somehow completed the building. Even though the architecture is very precise, I believe a building's spatiality, its materiality, has to open so the public can form its own imagination. I have always thought that my buildings would be nothing if they were not for people to construct their meanings. I guess I try to make dialogs to the public and to deliver messages to people who make observations.
What is your vision for the future of architecture?
Same thing about jazz music principle that always develops following a progressive human lifestyle that reflects the present condition.
Why is improvisation important in jazz?
Improvisation is one of the defining elements of jazz.
Jazz improvisation is the spontaneous invention of melodic solo lines or accompaniment parts. Improvisation is composing music "on the spot" and important in jazz since freedom and jazz go hand in hand.
What is the essence of your architecture?
My architecture is about motion. In the old days they had decoration. And since I'm modernist I can't do decoration, so I've got to find something to put "feeling" into building and motion is one way. Just like put music into architecture. And I play and improvise with that. When it works, it's feeling great.
How do you apply jazz music into your architecture?
I start a thing, I guess, like I fantatasize jazz musicians do, where I get the program, I understand the problem, I understand all the issues and I have the language. And then I start. I let the idea moving freely. When the answer reveals itself in sort of a normal structure, then I kick it off. And I guess that's when I play off the beat just like jazz music. I try to find the way to stay away from a normally structured environment.
I try not just playing right on the beat so the music is predictable and boring and doesn’t have that wonderful fluid motion. Instead I try to put "syncopation" feeling of jazz music to make it swinging. Therefore make my architecture has a soulful rhythm and carry a dynamic feeling.
How your status as architect, composer and jazz pianist influence your architecture?
I don’t think I would be doing architecture if I haven’t been a musician in my lifetime. You have to be able to create a series of drawings just like a musical score, you have to orchestrate it, you have to be able to communicate it, to conduct it. I never gave up music at all because music walk hand in hand with my architecture. You have to first of all listen to a place, you have to listen to the sound of a place, you have to get into the vibrations of the world, of the unique moment.
In my case the process of composing songs, arranging and improvising are the same as designing in architecture. Music and architecture compliment to each other.
How you make your audience feel about your architecture?
The audience has somehow to complete the building. Even though architecture is very precise, I believe a building's spatiality, its materiality, has to open so the public can form its own imagination. I have always thought that my buildings would be nothing if they were not for people to construct their meanings. I guess I try to make dialogs to the public and to deliver messages to people who make observation.
What your vision about the future of architecture?
Same thing about jazz music principle that always develop following progressive human lifestyle that reflects the present condition.
