Choreographing Architecture

Abstract

In this age of intolerance and chaos, the sudden need for self-expression, awareness and sometimes even distraction has increased. One way is to provide a platform for performing art which includes dance, music, theatre and performance art where body is used as a medium for expression. The design uses dance as a tool to design the form along with formal and informal spaces for learning, performing and interacting. Architecture and dance, though two diverse subject, are closely connected. They share a similar language of shape and form. Body and space both are also key features of architecture and dance. Dance uses a body to define and understand a space, whereas architecture uses a space to define and enclose the body. Dance frames the architecture and architecture frames the dance. Likewise architecture is similar to choreographing a dance. Instead of just choreographing the movement of the body, you also choreograph the movement of the form of the building in space. Experimentation with basic dance movement and light helped understand and break dance into it's basic elements such as rhythm, movement, balance, imbalance, etc. Integrating them then led to the form and design of the building.