An Investigation of the Relationship between Images and the Impression Created by the Music: A Case Study of Traditional Music for the Elderly

Architecture and music share many similarities from conceptual and perceptual viewpoints. They are alsosimilar in the fundamental principles governing them, such as rhythm, proportionalities, harmony,repetition, etc. Therefore, the strong link between music and architecture is manifested in the atmospherethey create, a mental or visual atmosphere which is barely investigated in relevant studies. The goal of thecurrent study is to investigate and perceive the formal relationship between music and architecture, beyondthe fundamentals linking them. The main research questions are: How can we relate the image created bya musical work and the impression created by that? Is there any relationship between the impression createdby the music and an appropriate architectural atmosphere favorable to individuals? The focus of the currentstudy is to consider the image created as a result of some complete piece of Iranian music, which isevaluated by the elderly (sample). Employing logical reasoning research method and simulation model, thestudy aims to find an answer for the first research question, and by seeking a yes/no answer to the secondresearch question, create an opportunity for the future research. Accordingly, first, the literature regardingthe relationship between music and architecture is reviewed. Next, the concept of atmosphere in architectureand music is described. Then the relationship between the feeling of interest towards the music type andthe features of images created as the result of music is explained. The results indicated that pieces of musicin which the rhythm is happier and faster result in more complex geometric shapes and more extrovertstructure. Finally, the study suggests that there is a close relationship between the impression created by themusic and the perception gained as a result of simulated image, which can be used in producing architecturalworks.