The building of my choice is the Boston Symphony Hall, which is located at 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston Massachusetts. The architectural design of the building is the brainchild of the firm McKim, Mead, and White. The building looks ‘young’ in its current environment although it was completed in 1900. The building was affected by Boston City’s transport infrastructure at the close of the 1800s, hence its current design. The architectural motivation behind the building is well represented by its current majestic stance. The building was expected to be the permanent residence of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which previously operated from the Boston Music Hall another iconic landmark.
From the time one walks into the building, the acoustic elements are obvious and prominently represented. The majestic interior design of the hall carries with it an air of importance as exemplified by the grand influence that the building has had over the American music culture. While gazing at the exterior of the Boston Symphony Hall (BSH), the only reminder of the modern era is the cars, buses, and subway lines that are to be found in the area. One of the most iconic aspects of the BSH is its ornamentation, which appears to have captured the ‘essence’ of the structure and frozen it in time. The building’s exterior is scarcely ornamented and it conspicuously lacks sculptures to accentuate it. Furthermore, the structure’s interior does not contain any form of elaborate design but it manages to uphold its artistic integrity. The observations that are made in this paper indicate that both the interior and exterior ornamentations of the BSH complement each other as if they are part of a perfect symphony.
The exterior of the BSH looks ‘ordinary’ when it is placed amidst other iconic buildings around Massachusetts Avenue. This means the setting to the exterior of the building resonates with any symphony where ordinary materials can give an extraordinary result. The building borders a commercial block of building to its south thereby making the two structures look like extensions of each other. The steel-frame structure gives the hall a majestic look but the granite pads around the building usher in the element of simple ornamentation, which is the hallmark of the structure. The pronounced use of wood throughout the structure informs an observer that the building is from another era. For instance, after conducting more research into how wood is used as part of the exterior finish, I learned that about 2000 piles of wood were used in the erection of the building’s central tower. The exterior of the hall also features the use of bays in all the parts of the building that border street views. The height of the building is two stories, with columns that give the semblance of a third story. The building’s roof is clad with predominantly red bricks/panels that make several openings around the structure more visible. Ornamentation in the roof is accentuated by limestone-like materials that are located next to roof panels.
The main exterior ornamentation in the building is brought to life through the marble-like panels that are to be found all around the walls of the structure. In a symphonic fashion, the granite-decorated steps of the building lead visitors to narrower columns on the Huntington Avenue entrance. The doors to BSH are oak double doors and they are seven in number. Most of these doors are accentuated with decorations that match the outside environment when they are open. There is also a door that mostly resembles a window thereby giving a mix that is characteristic of the symphony hall. Limestone remains the most prominent material for exterior decoration and it is used to make patterns, lyres, and windows. There is nothing too elaborate about the exterior ornamentation of the hall and this gives the impression that the people who visit the place are ‘familiar’ with the inside environment and its contents. For instance, sculptures are not used in the exterior decoration and this aligns with the simplicity of a symphony’s beginning.
The ornamentation that is used in the interior welcomes concertgoers to the intricacies of the symphony hall. Each part of this interior ornamentation is a continuation of a certain aspect of the building’s exterior or an inside arrangement. The auditorium is the most iconic aspect of the hall and as such, it is surrounded by various aspects of suggestive ornamentation. For instance, the auditorium is surrounded by two other parts of construction thereby making it the core of the building. The main decoration in the auditorium is the walls and they are highlighted by both brick and tile constructions. The arrangement of these decorations is expected to mimic symphonic arrangements. Furthermore, the material that is used is also expected to reflect the different tones of sound that are produced during a performance1.
The auditorium is also expected to give the impression that concertgoers have arrived at the main ‘altar’ because it is surrounded by the marble stairs that are also part of the exterior ornamentation. The seating arrangement in the auditorium is also mimicking the surrounding areas and it is probably meant to mirror the arrangements of stage performers. The balconies that surround the walls are made of some form of cast metal (probably iron) and they feature repetitive designs. The monotony of these metal designs is only broken by strategically placed red velvet-caps. Unlike the exterior, the interior has sculpture-like ornamentations that resemble the original logo of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the original tenants of the building2. This strategy indicates that symphonies were confined affairs that are expected to draw people in without the need for external coercion.
The only derived form of ornamentation that can be found both in the interior and exterior parts of building is the Corinthian niches around the building. It is likely that the architects relied on these niches to make sure sound travelled to the people who would be seated at the balconies. There are other decorations that accompany the Corinthian niches and they give artistic elements to the building. Eventually, the ceiling adopts a Renaissance style of decoration. The reasoning behind the simple ceiling designs is that the only tantalizing form of art in a symphony hall should be the music compositions.
Overall, both the interior and exterior ornamentations feature simple designs whereby the auditorium is meant to be the centerpiece. The patterns and paint schemes compliment this ornamentation and the intended lighting levels of the hall. The stage has also been decorated in a manner that incorporates both the interior and exterior aspects of the building. For instance, wood is also used in the stage decorations among other panel-inspired designs that were previously used in the exterior environment. The ornamented organ case can be said to be the centerpiece of the entire concert hall due to its sheer size and the intricacies of its design.
Bibliography
Baker-Carr, Janet. Evening at Symphony: A portrait of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Chicago: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), 1977.
Beranek, Leo. Concert Halls and Opera Houses: Music, Acoustics, and Architecture. New York: Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.
Gade, Christian. “Trends in preference, programming and design of concert halls for symphonic music.” Acoustical Society of America. Journal 123, no. 5 (2008): 2974-2974.
Howe, Mark, and John Naglee Burk. The Boston Symphony Orchestra: 1881-1931. Chicago: Houghton Mifflin, 1931.
Footnotes
- Leo Beranek, Concert halls and opera houses: music, acoustics, and architecture (New York: Springer Science & Business Media, 2012), 43.
- Mark Howe and John Naglee Burk, The Boston Symphony Orchestra: 1881-1931 (Chicago: Houghton Mifflin, 1931), 5.