Subject: Architectural Research: Dissertation (Module Rita Farrell

ARC8005)
40023744
Title of Dissertation: In-between Spaces

Date of submission: 30/04/2014

Submitted to the School of Planning, Architecture &, Civil Engineering, Queen’s

University Belfast. In partial fulillment of the requirements for the MArch
degree.

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I would irst of all like to thank my supervisor and mentor Dr. Sarah Lappin Acknowledgements
for all her encouragement and patience with me throughout my research. She
has opened my mind to sound and architecture in many different ways and has
deinitely helped me establish a starting point in my career in architecture. I
would also like to thank Dr. Gascia Ouzounian whose background in sound has
been of great use and inspiration to my peers and I.

A special thank you goes to Steve Larkin whose understanding of traditional

music in conjunction with space has been a major inspiration to not just this dis-
sertation but a lot more of my work and future research.

Musicians were key to this piece of research, therefore I would like to thank in
particular those who contributed to the ‘soundscapes’:
Barry Kerr
Desmond Adams
Frances Morton
Rauri O’Kane
Shane McAleer

Finally, I would like to thank my family especially my father Martin and mother
Mary whose patience, support and encouragement throughout my education
has been fundamental in getting me to where I am now. I am also truly grate-
ful for their encouragement and investment into my musical background that
helped me throughout this research.

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Contents 0.0…………………………………………Abstract 3

1.0…………………………………………Introduction: Soundscape 7

2.0………………………………………….Methodology 9

3.0…………………………………………The Architectural 11
Perspective

4.0…………………………………………‘Spaces In-between’ 15

5.0…………………………………………Irish Traditional Music 18

Environments

6.0…………………………………………Case Studies 20

6.1 Madden’s Bar 21

6.2 Kelly’s Cellars 25
6.3 The Duke of York 29
6.4 The John Hewitt 33

7.0…………………………………………Discussion 36

7.1 Conclusions/
Recommendations

8.0…………………………………………Bibliography 40

9.0 …………………………………………List of igures 42

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Sound and architecture is a combined subject that has been touched upon quite fre-
0.0 Abstract
quently for thousands of years. It is suggested that the irst considerations for sound in
relation to architecture can be seen as far back as Ancient Greece1. Through Pythagoras’
theory on string vibration and proportion being relative to its frequency wave lengths,
we can see the irst signs of sound being directly related to mathematical form and the
proportions of space.

More often than not, the writings on architecture and sound are usually in relation
to the physical visual elements that sound can create ‘on paper’ and rarely address the
‘soundscapes’ of spaces and environments. It is important for us to consider sound from
a designer’s perspective as it is an aspect which can be seen as the core of any known
place. Sound exists constantly and is part of every given environment whether it is an
exterior or interior space.

An aspect to sound that is often looked at but becomes insubstantial to creating place not
speciic to its space is ‘performance’. Performance is an anticipation of sound which en-
tertains us and brings about interactions with not just the sound itself but also becomes
a stimulus within the audience e.g. through song and dance. ‘Sound is materially invis-
ible but very visceral and emotive’2, and therefore it is hard to physically measure. By
researching into the unique atmospheres that house Irish traditional music, one can look
upon social interactions which occur within these spaces due to the fact that the music is
usually held in public houses. The interconnection between the static element of the pub-
lic house in terms of architecture and the ephemeral sound of traditional music creates
an ‘in-between space’. The architecture and the performance are intertwined through the
sound of a space, building upon the already established soundscape.

The research of sound through a unique performance soundscape – in particular the

performance of traditional Irish music, we may be able to establish ‘in-between’ spaces as
unintentional ‘performing’ spaces.
The nature of Traditional Irish music is one that is casual and often unrehearsed. There
is an element to it which is very much ‘of the moment’ and it is often the musicians who
ind the most suitable, already built spaces, rather than the performances taking place in
purpose built auditoriums and theatres. This then creates interesting soundscapes as the
acoustic music is combined with social activity. With the research into speciic public
houses in Belfast there is evidence that puts forward an argument for these spaces to
act as ‘in-between’ spaces and possibly set up soundscape focal points within the city
determined by social entities.

1
McFadden, S. ed. Neste, AH. ‘Express way to
year Cochelea’. MOMA (2013) Soundings – A
contemporary source. New York : The Museum
of Modern Art. Pg 17

2
McFadden, S. ed. Philipzs, S. MoMa. Sound-
ings – Comtemporary source. New York : The
Museum of Modern Art. Pg62

5
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“I listen to the sound of space, to the way materials and surfaces respond to touching
and tapping, and to the silence that is a prerequisite
of hearing.”3

7
When looking at sound and architecture, the relevance of space for performance is often the pervading
focus of attention. If it is a major design factor within a brief it is often regarded in terms of acoustical
enhancement. There is often little regard on the contextual soundscape. This paper is a study on ‘in-
between’, social spaces which aren’t necessarily designed for performance through the medium of Irish
traditional music and its social culture.

8
In Blesser and Salter’s essay on ‘Ancient acoustic spaces’, they make a point that 1.0 Introduction: ‘Soundscape’
‘An architect designs a structure or a space for its visual or utilitarian properties,
while being generally oblivious to its acoustic attributes the aural personal-
ity’4. As architects we are encouraged to analyse our surrounding context and
design to best suit the environment. There is a long list of factors that one must
take into consideration when analysing a site. However, most of these issues
that would be evident on site do not address the nature of sound. An architect’s
education is very much focused on the ability to see and thus the other senses
seem to take a back seat. With the initial investigation of a ‘soundscape’, we may
be able to understand further the fundamentals of a site in a broader sense.
“Sound and social space cannot live without each other;
It’s a love affair.”5

The idea of ‘Soundscapes’ is one that ‘enrich[es] our understanding of social and
cultural geography’ and one may argue music as an ‘organised sound’, provides
unique insight into the world of noise’6. Essentially, the soundscape is the basis
of an initial context. It is the foundation on which sound or ‘structured sound’
can begin to build although it is what we could describe as a ‘constant variable’
where by it is always present yet is unpredictable. The soundscape of a space is
a feature which relates to one of the most powerful senses in the human body
and with this in mind; we must question why there is not as much emphasis
on sound as there is on sight. One could argue that architecture is most likely
to succeed in design when it relates to all the senses therefore creating an ‘aural
picture’.
Performance is an element of sound which could be described as music or
‘organised sound’. It is the ‘anticipation of music in a space… the anticipation
of not knowing when and what kind of sound may be heard… [This] is perhaps
as important as the aural itself’7. We can therefore argue that a ‘performance’
involving organised sound is one that is relevant to architecture and can be used 3
Zumthor, PD. et al. 2006. hinking Architecture. 2nd
as a tool to decipher or potentially design a space. rev. ed. Basel : Birkhauser Verlag

4
Blesser, BB. Salter, LRS. Sterne, JS, ed. 2012 Ancient
Apart from nature, which one could argue is the irst element to be contained Acoustic Spaces – he Sound studies reader. London
within the ‘soundscape diameter’; architecture contributes a permanent ixed : Routledge

space which would have an element of noise, even without its inhabitants. 5
McFadden, S. ed. Wang, HK. MoMA. 2012. Sound-
ings – a contemporary score. New York : he Museum
Thanks to the work of sonic artist Jacob Kirkegaard in Chernobyl, we can see of Modern Art. Pg 74
that even the most silent of rooms contain an aspect of noise. By visiting the 6
Kearney, DK. ‘Crossing the River: Exploring the
abandoned city, his work took one aspect out of the architecture’s soundscape – Geography of Traditional Irish Music’. Ref. to Susan J.
the inhabitation of space. Through Kirkegaard’s piece AION (2006), the listener Smith, ‘Soundscapes’, Area, 26/3 (1994), 232-40

can hear the ‘recorded voices of rooms’ through the re-recording of a previous 7
Serken, S. “Music as an art of space: interactions
between music and architecture in the work of Iannis
recording. His work, inspired by I am sitting in a room (1969) by artist Alvin Xenakis.” Resonance: essays on the intersection of
Lucier8, makes us aware that architecture speaks, whether it be abandoned music and architecture, 2007

or full of inhabitants. Essentially Kirkegaard is discovering the breakdown of 8

Museum of Modern Art. 2013. Soundings exhibitions
the ‘structure’ of a speciic soundscape. As well as the inhabitants of a space, artists, Jacob Kirkegaard. [online] [17th January 2014]
http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2013/
Kirkegaard has found a place which eliminates the working building services, soundings/artists/6/works/
9
outside trafic and street soundscape. Instead, Kirkegaard explores rooms which
are being overtaken by nature yet still remain a living, yet manufactured struc-
ture. These rooms become the context for which Kirkegaard bases his pieces, and
works solely with that which is there.

“Sound is the vocabulary of Nature.

When we hear the wind, the wind says ‘I’m blowing.’
When we hear water, the water says I’m running”9

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The objective of this research is to examine space through sound and its connec- 2.0 Methodology
tion to social elements of society. The project concentrates solely on Belfast due
to the interesting history it has had through the peace process and although the
spaces examined are common in most cities, Belfast’s Public Houses have illed
the need for unique public, sociable spaces.
Due to the troubles within Northern Ireland and the fact that Belfast has been the
centre of most of the unrest, there has been an effect on the nature of the cities
social spaces. Although a thriving city at the turn of the 19th century with the
linen and ship industries leading the forefront of the economy, Belfast’s history
had led to public spaces being potential areas for conlict. This therefore makes
Belfast unique in that the outdoor public and ‘in-between’ spaces were seen in a
negative light and one could argue that this encouraged many residents to seek
social space within safer coninements – such as public houses. Belfast’s lack of
comfortable and useable public space would have been a catalyst for the public
houses to ill that gap.

Public houses in any city can be seen to be ‘in-between’ spaces. This can be ar-
gued because they act as social spaces which can often lack destination however
in a positive sense. The establishments within a city become places of new and
old social interactions, places to create contacts, meet with friends and enjoy the
atmosphere or the sound of a performance. In terms of traditional Irish music,
the public house bridges the gap between the initial performance space being the
kitchen and the professional, acoustic venue which is usually designed to suit
ampliied performance. These spaces are normally designed around the vocal
point which would be the bar area with any furniture within being orientated
for social interaction. Public houses seem to fulil a different perspective on
soundscapes down due to the unique intertwining of social, performance and
static soundscapes.

The main objective of this research was to understand social ‘in-between’ space
which can be seen as a catalyst for connection within a community. This does not
necessarily mean out door. Here we are taking the idea of the public house as
the ground in the social interaction between performance, space and audience.
Taking a simple traditional music space is just one element of ephemeral perfor-
mance which is so frequent within the culture and therefore, much like architec-
ture the music itself is a lot to do with the space combined with a moment.
It is hard to make an accurate analysis of a soundscape as it is not an aspect to
site analysis that we can easily record. It does not directly relate to the visual
therefore we cannot speciically record it on paper without using certain instru-
ments or creating personal abstract imagery. However, through personal experi-
ence from a performing background combined with architectural understanding,
this research project has concentrated on spaces which would predominantly 9
Schaeffer, P. 1986. pioneer of Musique Concrète.
hold traditional Irish Music sessions. The research carried out has looked at suit- Interviewed by Tim Hodgkinson [in person] 2
May 1986.
able and unsuitable spaces through different social perceptions; e.g. performer
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 vs. audience. With these elements in mind, the research establishes measure-
ments of the spaces to fulil the architectural analysis along with the notation
of material. Another important element is the information collected from
interviews from both musicians and bar staff to satisfy different perspectives
and stances. The overall experience and atmosphere to the space has also been
noted in conjunction to architectural, performance and audience response.

The public houses in question would be considered the most popular venues for
traditional music in Belfast. They have also been chosen due recommendations
to the types of spaces and acoustics and also through popularity and audience
satisfaction. Each bar is located within rather a small radius of one another yet
all are surrounded by very different urban ‘scenescapes’ which in turn affects
the soundscape of the interior spaces.

The documentation of the sound ‘is not just a hollow version of reality, but it is
in itself a complete autonomous entity that exists within its own space and time,
and with its own role and implications on the world.’10

10
McFadden, S. ed. Tsunado, T. MoMA. (2013)
Soundings – A contemporary score. New York :
The Museum of Modern Art. Pg 25

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There have been many artists who have looked into the relationship between 3.0 The architectural
sound and space, and the relevance space has to performance, however not perspective
necessarily from an architectural stance. For example, the Museum of Modern
Art’s publication Soundings, A contemporary source gives us examples of
mainly sound artists who are starting to look at sound, art and/or space. These
artists’ backgrounds are mainly from an art or sound education for example,
Marco Fusinato who appreciates the cross discipline nature that the subject of
sound can easily adhere to. Although immersing himself in the work of Iannis
Xenakis, Fusinato is foremost an artist and perhaps understanding the works
from a more visual perspective. Sound artists today seem to be more aware of
how important space is to sound and are more concerned with the ‘sculpting’ of
the already rooted soundscape.

Most writing and research carried out that combines sound with architecture is
usually concerned with basic acoustics and noise pollution. Noise pollution has
always been seen as a problem within urban landscapes throughout the century
and has been addressed in such documents as the ‘Sounder City: The Mayor’s
Ambient Noise strategy’, where there are technical reports referring to the con-
sideration of noise pollution in the early stages of design, mainly afiliated with
transport. The basic acoustics some architects face are usually in reference to the
‘science of sound’. Although not necessarily concerned with the wider sound-
scape, acoustical architecture is usually exercised with protecting a speciic area
from sound and noise pollution e.g. Cinemas, theatres, sound booths.

As well as acoustics, numerous distinguished theatres and venues have been

designed with the ‘performance’ in mind however; this is not an attribute that
is engrained throughout an architect’s design process and usually it is the
consideration of the potential sound or noise within a space rather than the
preservation of the ubiquity of noise and sound: ‘Few architects have been
listening’11 where ‘to listen is to ‘stretch the ear’ while to [actually] hear is to
‘understand’’12. Most of the writings about ‘music and architecture’ from an
architect’s or engineer’s approach, usually concentrate on the mathematical or
rhythmic elements to speciic musical pieces or structures. Within this subject,
architecture is often described as ‘frozen music’, and further more ‘Architecture,
as the music of plastic arts’13; Architecture in this sense is described as more of a 11
McFadden, S. ed. Long, B. MOMA (2013)
Soundings – A contemporary score. New York :
‘static’ or formalised notion and there seems to be no concern over soundscape The Museum of Modern Art
when architecture is suggestively referred to as ‘concrete music’14. 12
McFadden, S. ed. Tcerphin, S. MoMA (2013)
Soundings – a contemporary source. New York :
The Museum of Modern Art pg 67-68

13
F.W.J Schelling, The Philosophy of Art, trans.
And ed. Douglas W. Stott (Minneapolis: Univer-
sity of Minnesota Press, 1989) p. 163

14
F.W.J Schelling, The Philosophy of Art, trans.
And ed. Douglas W. Stott (Minneapolis: Univer-
sity of Minnesota Press, 1989) p. 163

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 The Stretto House, Texas by Steven Holl is an example of architecture which is
designed with the intention of mimicking the ‘mathematical theory’ of music.
Although luid in structure it is essentially based on the composer Bartok’s
music. In short, Holl took the physical elements of Bartok’s Music for Strings,
Percussion and Celesta in particular during the ‘Stretto’15, combined with tradi-
tional music against the contemporary and turned it into a piece of architecture.
One could argue that the building does not do the piece justice as it seems to be
related too much to the visual. There is little writing on the soundscape of the
project, which in many ways should be the main point of the design.

Figure 1 – Steven Holl: Stretto House,

Exploded axonometric III [1991]
http://www.stevenholl.com/project-detail.
php?type=houses&id=26

15
Simpson, J. A. and Weiner, E. S. C. 1989. The
Oxford English dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon
Press.; Stretto - A direction to perform a passage,
esp. a inal passage, in quicker time.

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Throughout his career Iannis Xenakis, was a successful, composer and architect-
engineer working for a period under Le Corbusier in Paris. Le Corbusier encour-
aged this link between architecture and music and his fascination with musical
rhythm became an inspiration for the façade of the Monastery of La Tourette; by
playing with the distances between the frames on the West façade, Xenakis gave
the design of the window panes and frames more of an asymmetrical appear-
ance. Again, this is an example of an architect basing a design on the rhythm or
mathematical proportions which are established in music rather than the luidity
that can be so easily found in music itself.

Figure 2 : Xeniakis, I. Diatope – Combina-

tion of sound and light, [1977]
Ianis xenakis http://www.tunedcity.
net/?page_id=362

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 If we look at the other end of the spectrum when relating architecture to music
there are many strong examples where architecture becomes the musical instru-
ments that make a physical sound. There is an aural personality that is created
by the physical attributes that make up a space. An example of this is the recent
project in New Orleans, Dithyrambalina. The city of New Orleans whilst it is
known for its magniicent musical heritage, architecture and culture, houses
many abandoned buildings. Through this project, a group of 25 visual and
sound artists got together to create a ‘musical architecture’ with the intention
to provide a playful combination of music and architecture for the surrounding
community16. The project, although concerned about the spaces, did not feel the
need to keep the sound acoustically inside. The building’s structure and materi-
ality are the foundations of sound and therefore we see an example of architec-
ture which is concerned with the production of sound, rather than the capture
and silencing of sound which can often be seen in many spaces that are built for
‘performance’. The Dithyrambalina project pushed the boundaries with the al-
ready static element of architecture and music and turned it into something that
can be physically seen to make sound thus creating visual, audio architecture.

In terms of ‘static architecture’ that produces sound we can look at the ‘Singing
Ringing tree’ in Lancaster designed by architects Tonkin-Liu. Located within
the Penine Hills overlooking Burnley, this sculpture is designed so that the
structure is powered by the howling winds one would ind at such a height.
Constructed from different scaffolding poles, with varying diameter, the struc-
ture is tuned speciically so that they would ‘emit a melodious hum as the wind
blows through them’17.
Although useful from a musical/performance perspective, there is usually no
exploration into the fundamental attributes of the space itself. The writings that
are most established when researching sound and architecture are suggested to
be at two opposite extremes: 1. the static/concrete perspective; 2. the ‘physical
sounding and visual’ perspective. Within this spectrum then since the func-
tionality aspect where noise pollution is the main concern and documents are
drafted for the control of and even the extermination of sound itself.

16
Dithyrambalina.com. 2014. » About Dithy-
rambalina. [online] Available at: http://www.
dithyrambalina.com/history/ [Accessed: 18
January 2014].

17
Visitburnley.com. 2014. The Singing- Ringing
Tree | visitburnley. [online] Available at: http://
visitburnley.com/discover/singing-ringing-
tree/ [Accessed: 15 January 2014].

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More often than not, we must look towards others who are not architects in re- 4.0 Spaces In-between
gards to the combination of sound and architecture. Paul Valery, a French poet
and philosopher ‘states in Eupalinos ou l’architecte, in this context, music and
architecture differ from the other arts in their capacity to surround man entire-
ly’18. This interpretation puts forward the idea that ‘both arts deal with space’19
and music and architecture have similar attributes in terms of the ‘third element’
which combines ‘mathematical proportions’ with the ‘concept of space’.

In particular, sound artists seem to have a strong fascination with not only noise,
but with the space in which noise is held. The spaces studied are usually ones
that ‘speak for themselves’ rather than being dampened by acoustic buffers and
barriers. For example, In Susan Philipsz’ installation – lowlands (2010), she car-
ried out the piece ‘beneath the bridges of Glasgow [where] the trains trundling
overhead provided an intermittent bass rumble that connected the viewer to
the space’20. These ‘spaces are often seen as in between’ and regularly act as a
platform for experimental performance; enticing on lookers and encouraging in-
teraction with immediate context. They can be found in unexpected places, from
a back alley, to a tube station or a public house. These particular spaces aren’t
necessarily set up or designed for performance. However lexibility of the spaces
allows for more of a unique environment, encouraging ephemeral performances
and creates ‘extra-acoustic dimensions that enhance the sonic experience’21. In
a ixed performance venue, artists are limited to the environment they have,
which is usually designed to control sound on top of an unnatural soundscape –
‘Traditional concert halls, despite superior acoustics, are … ill adapted for sonic
experimentation. Their ixed seating and elevated stages render them unsuitable
for presenting not only sound as an art form but also innovative forms of new
music’22. These designed spaces also create a barrier between the performances
and the audience. The ‘ixed seating’ does not allow for the audience’s ability to 19
Resonance: Essays On The Intersection Of
Music And Architecture Paperback, Mikesch W.
move and experience a different perspective to the soundscape and the notion Muecke (Author) , Miriam S. Zach (Contributor)
of the ‘elevated stage’ creates a certain kind of dominance over the audience that 20
Resonance: Essays On The Intersection Of
doesn’t naturally encourage participation or new role relationships between per- Music And Architecture Paperback, Mikesch W.
Muecke (Author) , Miriam S. Zach (Contributor)
former and their audience and ‘the notion of a completely neutral, silent space
frequently remains the ideal..’23 21
McFadden, S. ed. Philipsz, S. MoMA (2013)
Soundings – A Contemporary Score. New York :
The Museum of Modern Art. Pg 63
Carsten Nicolais’ Sonic art piece – ‘Wellenwanne Ifo’ takes a look at the trans- 22
McFadden, S. ed. Hecker, F. MoMA (2013)
mission of low frequency sound waves onto the surface of a pool of water24. Soundings – A Contemporary Score. New York :
The Museum of Modern Art. Pg 34
Nicolai is concerned with not necessarily main open spaces; but the ‘spaces in
between’ which in their initial environment create ‘order/disorder’ and records 23
McFadden, S, ed. Neset, AH. MOMA (2013)
Soundings – A Contemporary Score. New York
these spaces as ‘hidden hearings’. One could question whether these types of :The Museum of Modern Art
spaces are more suitable to performance, as any type of sound produced is using 24
McFadden, S. ed. Tcherepnin, S. MoMA (2013)
the context as a backdrop to the performance. In this sense, sound relates back Soundings – A contemporary Score. New York :
The Museum of Modern Art. Pg 69
to the visual and the performance in question becomes more of an ephemeral
experience for audience members. 25
McFadden, S, ed. Neset, AH. MOMA (2013)
Soundings – A Contemporary Score. New York :
The Museum of Modern Art
17
 The Belfast Sound map is an online platform which maps the soundscape of
Belfast. The research was carried out as an attempt to ‘engage local communi-
ties in capturing everyday sound and hence characteris[ing] the soundscape of
the city’25. The exploration of spaces through the term ‘soundscape’ inspires one
to analyse the space through the sound of the context. For example, at certain
times of the year marching bands can be heard from The Ormeau Park in East
Belfast. This is combined with the humming, drone of nearby trafic and con-
trasted with the delicate sounds of the birds singing. This soundscape, without
knowing where it is oficially recorded triggers our senses to develop an ‘incep-
tion’ of this space without actually being there. The fact that it is outside sug-
gests that it is the ‘cities basic natural soundscape’. These public spaces may be
seen as ‘in-between spaces’ within the city and as it is outside; the soundscape
becomes wider and more diverse. By immersing ourselves in the ‘soundscape’
of a city, we may be able to develop a way of designing around and imagining
through our senses.

An important feature to cities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland,

and which could be considered an ‘in-between space’ is that of the public house.
Over the years many cities have seen a luctuation in the number of public
houses usually depending on the state of the city in economic growth or social
wellbeing. As a thriving city at the turn of the 19th century, Belfast was home
to many prosperous public houses. An example of this can be found in a piece
of writing from a ‘Temperance supporter’ in the Belfast news-letter – ‘A man
from Queen’s Island with wages in his pocket has to pass 67 public houses on
his way to the head of the Shankill Road’26. Since then, Belfast has been through
a lot of social and economic changes which would have had a strained effect
on the number of pubs in the city. However, the few that survived throughout
the century have been substantial elements in the incline of Belfast’s growing
culture. These pubs have acted as ‘in-between spaces’, in terms of not just the
city soundscape but also in relation to the surrounding community. A visit to a
pub can more often than not be a spontaneous event and within certain areas of
the city centre in particular, there is much evidence of cross community integra-
tion. These public houses within the centre have therefore been encouraged and
enhanced by in-house music and entertainment.

A type of performance which would usually take place in ‘in-between spaces’,

is that of Traditional Irish music. These spaces are not speciically designed
for performance purposes however there may have had more of a design
intent skewed towards social engagement. A basic example of this would be
25
Belfastsoundmap.org. 2014. Belfast Sound Map. the conventional Irish kitchen as this is the basis where the unique music was
[online] Available at: http://www.belfastsound-
map.org/ [Accessed: 18 January2014]. established. The music itself is one which arguably engages as social interaction
26
Law, G. (2002) ‘Historic Pubs of Belfast’. Belfast
encouraging others to join in or just listen. It has iltered
: Appletree Press.
18
through to public houses and more often than not to popular musical venues
and theatres.

The particular environments that have been researched are that of the public
house. This is because it has a link to the city which is maintained through the
sociality of the establishment and can arguably be seen as an ‘in-between’ space.
Session environments react differently to their soundscape and if successful
may maintain an ambiance that works well with the unique sounds from the
instruments. The frequency range of traditional music commonly hits around
the middle of the spectrum with most traditional tunes dominating around the
keys of D and G Major where D major regarded as ‘concert pitch’. With this in
mind, depending on how many players are present and the quality and loud-
ness of each individual instrument, Irish traditional music is usually well suited
to corners of small spaces. There in the sound is more contained and each player
is able to hear each other. As noted by Daithi Kearney ‘the space of musical
performance helps create the context in which the music is experienced and
interpreted.’27 For example, as Irish Traditional music is fundamentally dance
music (therefore background music), there will always be a wide soundscape as
it is normally not ampliied and is not the type of music which would dominate
a space.

27
Kearney, D. 2008. Crossing the River: Explor-
ing the Geography of Irish Traditional Music.
Journal of the Society for Musicology in Ireland,
3 pp. 127--139.

19
 5.0 Irish traditional music The aural personality of Irish Traditional music has always been one that is af-
environments fected by space, whether it is structure, materiality or even the temperature. It is
a type of music which is related solely to Ireland yet is played all over the world
in many different avenues of space.
More often than not, its compositions are also inspired by its surroundings.
Many of the songs and tunes composed are about the Irish landscape, and usu-
ally relate to speciic counties or towns. Therefore this is arguably a way of link-
ing the ‘sound landscape’ of Ireland to its architecture as this is also very true of
the spaces – surroundings really do matter.

“[The music arises from] the laws of nature and the law of the land…
The laws of nature are the environment and the creatures of that environment since Ire-
land irst began”28

Irish traditional music is an ideal example of sound artistry to study when

looking at ‘in-between spaces’. Its impromptu nature is the fundamental basis
to the tradition and with its strong links to landscape it connects relevantly to
architecture and its context.

Between the 1930s and 1970s, Irish music was ‘mostly played in private houses,
laying the foundation for today’s familiar session scene’29, which would pre-
dominantly take place in public houses. Brendan Begley, a traditional button
accordion player from Kerry recalls how “house parties were frequent, par-
ticularly in the summer months, with the annual lush of visiting ‘Yanks’” and
remembers how the sounds “[iltered] through to the bedroom”30. The ‘original
sessions’ would have also been heard at ‘crossroads. These ‘in-between’ session
spaces catered for people from the surrounding towns and encouraged social
engagement through dance. Essentially traditional music therefore was very
much a social phenomenon to rural Ireland which brought different communi-
ties together. The bringing together of different communities can still be seen
today but now in a wider global context.
28
Tansey. S (Oct. 1996), Irish music magazine

29
Vallely, F. and Piggott, C. 1998. Blooming
meadows. Dublin: Town House.
The urban ‘scenescape’31 and ‘soundscape’ was not much different to the rural.
The ‘scenescape’, the unique setting associated with Irish traditional music
30
Vallely, F. and Piggott, C. 1998. Blooming
meadows. Dublin: Town House. was ‘often old and in a state of disrepair’32. However, this is what adds to the
character of the ‘Irish session’. There has been criticism about the redevelop-
31
Basegmez, V. 2005. Irish scene and sound
– identity, Authenicity and Transnationality ment of Temple bar in Dublin in which the local pubs, although look the same
among young musicians. Stockholm: Universitet as they did 50 years ago from the outside, inside have turned into a ‘stage set’
Stockholms.
of Ireland for tourist supericiality33. Many musicians have accused commercial
32
Basegmez, V. 2005. Irish scene and sound
– identity, Authenicity and Transnationality interests ‘of changing pubs with charm, character and comfortable lived in
among young musicians. Stockholm: Universitet interiors into tourist supericiality’ , however after the change, it has arguably
Stockholms.
become a vibrant and lively part of the city in which many musicians lock to.
33
Basegmes, V. (2005) Irish Scene and Sound
– Identity, Aunthenticity and Transnationality
among young musicians.
20
It is important to acknowledge the soundscape environments in which these
Traditional Irish music ‘sessions’ take place; the sound environments are obvi-
ously made up of the ‘permanent elements’ such as the uninhabited building
combined with the natural, ‘outdoors’ aspect. However when it comes down to
the actual ‘performance’ there is a combination of factors at play: the audience
members, the performance, the building’s services and general movement all
have an effect on the space and the performance resulting in the transitory
environment. Scottish geographer Frances Morton, recognises the ‘crucial
roles played by the audience as well as the performers in the development of
these spaces’, which results in the outward effect on the performance space34.
It is known that human beings have an absorption coeficient at an average
of approximately 3.833 Sabins/sq ft when there is a frequency ranging from
125-4000Hz. This means that these public house session spaces which are illed
with a varied number of audience members will never create exactly the same
soundscape consecutively; it is therefore harder to actually pin down noise
analysis. These ephemeral moments make the spaces of the performances more
important and the varying number of people in the room will therefore make
the moment unique.

In regard to the performance within a space, ‘live music is one of the most
prominent activities through which people express and construct meaning and
identity within speciic spatial parameters’35. Players and audience members
identify with the space and may be seen to adapt to it. One could then consider
Irish music to be a ‘sound mark’ within a ‘soundscape’36 of a space, meaning
that within the ‘given sounding environment’ the music is a mark of sound that
holds ‘ particular cultural or social meaning to the local acoustic community’.
In terms of the audience it is a lot about the witnessing of the ‘actual creation of
sound, the audible vibrations of a bow moving against a violin string… that is
lost in recording’ . This relationship to the visual gives the individual perform- 34
Morton, F. performing Ethnography: Irish
traditional music (MRes diss, University of
ers exclusive personalities which relate from their movements to the sounds Strathclyde, 2001) Frances Morton, ‘Performing
and therefore making the space more apparent. One could then look beyond the Ethnolgraphy: Irish Traditional Music sessions
and new methodological spaces’, social and
static approach when initially analysing sound and architecture. cultural geography, 6/5 (2001) 661-76

35
Kearney, D. 2008. Crossing the River: Explor-
ing the Geography of Irish Traditional Music.
Journal of the Society for Musicology in Ireland,
3 pp. 127--139.

36
Fowler, M. 2013. Sound, Aurality and Critical
Listening: Disruptions at the Boundaries of
Architecture. Architecture and Culture, 1 (1-2),
pp. 66.

37
Fowler, M. 2013. Sound, Aurality and Critical
Listening: Disruptions at the Boundaries of
Architecture. Architecture and Culture, 1 (1-2),
pp. 174.

38
McFadden, S. ed. Perich, T. MoMA. (2013)
Soundings – A Contemporary Score. New York :
The Museum of Modern Art. Pg 58
21
 6.0 Case Studies

Figure 3 : Map of Belfast highlighting city

centre
The case studies chosen are all located in the centre of Belfast. They are all
within close proximity of each other yet were chosen on the grounds that
the immediate contexts within the city are different.

he Duke of York
he John Hewitt

Madden’s Bar
Kelly’s Cellars

Figure 4 : City centre map showing chosen

public houses
22
6.1 Madden’s Bar

Figure 5 : Madden’s Bar, Sketch Elevation,

Scale N/A

23
 One of the most popular traditional music public houses in Belfast is Madden’s
Bar (74 Berry Street, BT11). Located in what used to be the Smithield area of
the city with a history dating back to 1751, Madden’s is a very popular place
amongst locals and tourists and due to this contains a very relaxed atmo-
sphere39.

Music is played every night in the pub; however the irst loor is considered a
popular place for traditional sessions due to the layout and generic acoustics.
From interviewing local musicians who play regularly in the pub, the general
consensus is that the best acoustics are located in the booth to the top left of
the plan (session space #1). With an internal volume of 2.3x1.7x2.4m there is
a limited amount of room within the booth. Due to this there is probably only
room for about six musicians comfortably and with each with their instruments,
six players can cause a cramped situation. Arguably this may be considered a
good number of musicians for an acoustic session as there would be a successful
balance between the instruments.
The materiality of the booth and the surrounding area is predominantly timber
and with the backs of the seats enclosing the booth at a height of 1.3m, the area
is quite conined. This, combined with the window located to the centre of the
booth in question creates a balanced reverberant environment, meaning the
instruments being played can more often than not be heard individually at the
volume level, blending well into within the wider interior soundscape.

Figure 6 : Madden’s Bar, Plan – scale n/a

39
Gary Law, Historic Pubs of Belfast. Belfast :
Appletree Press, (2002), p 61

24
With this in mind as well as presumably the absorption of the timber amalgam-
ated with the relection of the glass window within the external wall, you could
argue that a comfortable atmosphere is created mainly for the musicians in the
booth and the punters on looking from the immediate area. The relection of the
glass of the window panes allows for a very small percentage of absorption but
a higher percentage of relection of sound back into the booth. The timber act-
ing as the walls of the booth, relect most high frequencies and a small amount
of low frequencies. Thus, one could argue that this environment is therefore
suited to Irish traditional music due to the frequencies being produced, hitting
the middle of the frequency spectrum. The combination of frequencies against
materiality could then create a balanced, collective sound - “Take a sound from
whatever source, a note on a violin, a scream, a moan, a creaking door, and there
is always this symmetry between the sound basis, which is complex and has
numerous characteristics which emerge through a process of comparison within
our perception.”40

Figure 7: Section through session space one

booth – Scale n/a

40
Schaeffer, P. 1986. pioneer of Musique
Concrète. Interviewed by Tim Hodgkinson [in
person] 2 May 1986.

25
 However, as it is a tight corner, the sound seems to be contained within the
booth and the soundscape of the rest of the room during peak hours over-
whelms the acoustic music. In this case, the audience will struggle to appreciate
the inherent quality of the music being produced in this space. As well as this,
according to bar staff the positioning of the booth becomes rather an inconve-
nience, as the bar is located directly next to the main opening to the booth and is
constantly surrounded by customers queuing for drinks and trying to hear the
music.

For these reasons, an alternative session space was suggested. When the irst
loor bar is busy, musicians located themselves to the bottom right hand corner
of the plan (session space #2). The second space is quite different to the initial
area as it is a lot more open. It becomes a place where the audience can see the
musicians as well as being able hear them clearly. Musicians however would
say that the space is not suitable for sessions as it is too exposed. The potential
to have more than six musicians, although maybe seen as a positive attribute,
creates the possibility that the music will become out of time and hence creat-
ing a disjointed quality of soundscape within that environment. The partitions
throughout this corner create inconvenient divides between players. Essentially,
the partitions will result in two musicians sitting within 300mm of each other
to not being able to hear the other individual at all. This unintentionally creates
‘session zones’ within the ‘session scape’ and suggests that the individuals play-
ing have a completely different individual ‘soundscape’ to the person sitting
next to them.

Another aspect to the spaces in question would be the sense of interaction be-
tween players and audience. Session space #1 can be perceived to be more of an
‘anti-social’ environment as the high backs to the seats create an obvious divide
between performer and listeners. Furthermore, the booths act as not only ‘social
barriers’, but also sound barriers. By looking at the fundamentals that make up
an acoustic wall, there is always a form of absorbent material, followed by a
‘bass trap’41 which is a recommended distance between the absorbent material
and the external wall. In light of this, the space that accommodates the table
within the booth acts as a ‘base trap’ and creates a sound barrier between the
music and the rest of the room.

41
Lenardaudio.com. 2014. Sound absorption.
[online] Available at: http://lenardaudio.com/
education/04_acoustics_3.html [Accessed: 17
January 2014].
26
6.2 Kelly’s Cellars

Figure 8 : Kelly’s Cellars Sketch elevation

- scale n/a

27
 Established in 1720, (although experts believe it didn’t open its doors oficially
until 1780) Kelly’s Cellars is arguably one of the oldest, if not the oldest ‘con-
tinually run pub in Belfast’42. Its rich history and culture, especially relating to
certain historical events, make it a popular attraction amongst tourists, and with
locals, many famous people have experienced the drink and ‘craic’ within the
bar.
As a former spirit merchant, it used to provide refreshment to the members of
the Society of United Irish men whilst they held meetings in secret. Located
at 30-32 Bank Street, around the corner from Madden’s Bar, it is the only pub
within the vicinity which faces onto Bank Square.

It is highly regarded as a place for its high quality traditional music, making
it a good spot for musicians to come and play. Similar to Madden’s however,
there are divided opinions about where the best place to play and to be heard
is located. To the East side of the bar, there is what would be considered one of
the best places to play music in Belfast (session space #1). The space in question
is believed to have been used as a ‘large snug set aside for women’43 during the
1940s. Directly off this space you are lead either to the rest of the bar through a
walkway from the main entrance or to the men’s toilets. The interior materiality
of the space is again predominantly timber. However in this case the walls are
plastered in a dishevelled manner creating a suggestive, characteristic texture.
Above the plaster, just below the timber board ceiling, there is approximately
300mm of black painted, exposed brickwork. The area where the musicians
would usually sit is located to the far back of the space. The seating arrange-
ment is combined of built in, ‘booth like’ timber benches upholstered with
leather however the area is very open, much like the second space analysed in
Madden’s. None the less, the space in Kelly’s is different in a positive sense to
Madden’s as there are no partitions which would unintentionally create ‘session
zones’.

42
Gary Law, ‘Historic Pubs of Belfast, Appletree
Press, (2002), p 49-50
43
Gary Law, ‘Historic Pubs of Belfast, Appletree
Press, (2002)
28
 Figure 9 : Kelly’s Cellars Plan – scale n/a

The space in question is cut off from the bar space by a type of corridor which
leads in from the main entrance. The corridor acts as a sound barrier or ‘base
trap’44 towards the rest of the establishment thus causing the rest of the custom-
ers to hear very little of the music even on quiet evenings. Again, we could re-
late similarities to the acoustic wall theory where two separate entities which do
not touch create a completely sound proof barrier from one space to the other.
This is not the full case in this sense as the openings within the partitions create
ways for sound to escape, however it still contains elements of the same theory.

44
Lenardaudio.com. 2014. Sound absorption.
[online] Available at: http://lenardaudio.com/
education/04_acoustics_3.html [Accessed: 17
January 2014].

29
Figure 10 : Section through preferred session
space – Scale n/a (session space one)

The space where performances usually take place is located to the far right of
the pub (session space #2) It is more open to listeners unlike space #1 and has
a layout which could be seen as beneicial towards players as well as audience
members. It is situated right next to a ire place which one might say reverber-
ates the sound back into the room, emphasising the performance aural personal-
ity of the music rather than the establishment’s soundscape. Within this space
there is a large amount of beams, however they aren’t very prominent with a
depth of only 150mm and approximately 1m apart. However, there is a beam
which is measured to approximately 400mm in depth which is located towards
the end of the bar (dotted line shown on plan). This would have some impact
towards the listeners on the far side as the soundwaves could arguably be
dispersed. Another factor that would contribute to this would be the area where
the wall extends out. Not only does this block the musicians from view of the
audience, but the sound is enclosed in the performance space more so with this
architectural element.

30
6.3 The Duke of York

Figure 11 : The Duke of York, Sketch elevation,

scale n/a

31
 Situated down a cobbled back alley, veering off from Donegall Street in the
heart of the Cathedral Quarter, the Duke of York has established itself as a
popular, historic public house and has been of great importance to the city of
Belfast. Popular amongst journalists over the years, conveniently located near
ofices, the Duke of York as an establishment has outlived many of the local
publications of the area. It is therefore an example of a public house which has
overcome economic and social turmoil, especially during the Troubles45. The
pub, once ‘home to Belfast’s irst boxing club’46 situated upstairs in the establish-
ment has been located on the site since approximately 1810. Since then it has
undergone many changes under different owners, and managed to overcome
turmoil when in 1973 ‘the building took the full force of a massive bomb explo-
sion and had to be completely demolished’. Today, it has been renovated near
to what it used to be and maintains a distinctive personality linked to its situa-
tion in the city and catering for a diverse musical culture.

Figure 12 : The Duke of York, plan of session

space, scale n/a

45
Law, G. (2002) Historic pubs of Belfast, Belfast:
Appletree. p33-34
46
Law, G. (2002) Historic pubs of Belfast, Belfast:
32
The main area used by the musicians for performing traditional Irish music is
located at the back of the pub towards the second bar on the ground loor. The
musicians sit in the space which is approximately 3.6x3.3m directly in front of
the bar. The bar in question is 1.3m in height and creates an advantage for the
musicians, not just in terms of ‘distance to the bar’ but also the enclosure the bar
makes. It acts essentially the same as the booth, however the bar staff are not
the desired target as an audience. The ceiling within the space is considerably
higher than the rest of the establishment. At a height of about 3.2m the ceiling
is held up by a beam clad in timber casing which bring the room height down
to approximately2.2m where the normal ceiling height continues to where
the audience would gather at 2.4m. With this in mind, the beam is quite an
important attribute to the ‘aural personality’ of the session. It acts to compress
the tones of the instruments though the tiled loor and metallic ornaments, ac-
centuate the zoned soundscape and with the help of the elongated plan which
push the sounds outwards towards the listeners. This again is not an overpow-
ering sound and with an average of about 5 musicians, the performance acts as
‘muzak’ for the punters to converse comfortably.

Figure 13 : Sketch elevation of session space

in front of bar

33
Towards the opposite end of the space at the back of an elongation, the walls
are littered with quirky trinkets, representing moments in time relating to the
history of Belfast and the establishment. Taking this into consideration, there is
an abundance of relective materials that would be prone to emulate the music.
These materials would therefore contribute to the soundscape just as much as
the interior furnishings and ittings. The fundamental furnishings would also be
considered to be somewhat different to other traditional public houses around
Belfast. The relection of sound is not only emulated through the ornaments, but
it is also emphasised by the tiled loor and the brass tables. The seating is still
wooden and much like Madden’s, some of the seating is formed in booths. The
booths, where situated have a lot more room within their immediate vicinity
and therefore more exposed if the session were to move to another part of the
room.

34
6.4 The John Hewitt

Figure 14 : The John Hewitt, Sketch eleva-

tion - scale n/a

35
 Named after the famous Ulster Poet, the John Hewitt is an example of a public
house with the all-out intention of housing live music. Oficially opening its
doors in December 1999, the bar is more of a younger establishment compared
to the rest of the public houses that house traditional Irish music. Like many
other public houses, it also has the option for ampliication and with this; local
bands can play quite regularly.

There are two main session spaces within the pub. One of which may be used
for ‘personal sessions’ i.e. sessions organised by musicians for their own enjoy-
ment rather than for audience entertainment. This space is located in a ‘snug’
to the right of the bar when entering the space. The other space is located to the
left of the entrance on a slight raise surrounded by a barrier. The element that
makes this session space different to the rest of the session spaces in other pub

Figure 15 : The John Hewitt, sketchplan –

scale n/a

36
This particular space could presumably be the most public out of the establish-
ments studied as the musicians are elevated up to a height which is not only
dominant internally but the players are directly at eye level to passers-by on Do-
negall Street. This would entice potential custom as well as upholding a speciic
space for the players themselves. This is particular example of newly designed
establishments where the potential for performance is a necessity.

The soundscape within the John Hewitt is one that is affected greatly by the
outside trafic. It is the only one studied within this research that is directly
situated on a busy high street in the centre of Belfast. This, combined with the
high ceilings on a busy night, does not make the pub suitable for an acoustic ses-
sion and it may be the case that on these more popular nights, it is more suited
towards an ampliied band. However, as commonly practiced within traditional
Irish Music, a Sunday afternoon session is ideal in this establishment as the
vastness of the space itself compared to the much more zoned, compartmented
spaces one would see in Kelly’s Cellars, Madden’s and the Duke of York creates
a longer resonance.

Figure 15 : The John Hewitt, Section through

session space – scale n/a

37
7.0 Discussion To conclude the research indings, one must take into consideration the popular
factors which contribute and characterise these ‘in-between’ spaces. The es-
sential argument being dealt with is the idea that these spaces, although not
speciically designed with sound in mind, act as places where sound is a pre-
dominant factor. With this, it becomes the immaterial focal point and through
the examination of the soundscape and the social entities through the medium
of acoustic traditional Irish music, one can consider these spaces as ‘in-between’.
One must remember that this type of music has come from an environment far
removed from the city scape: sessions at crossroads and domestic spaces. The
domestic setting is still a place for more personal and private performances and
for practice. Yet with time, this domestic setting has transferred to the public
house and with more professionalism within the music to more organised ‘ses-
sions’ thus the venues become more formal.

By concentrating on the public house aspect of the culture, one of the main
aspects to come from this data is that of how much the small details of a space
contribute more than initially considered. The measurements of each of the
spaces relative to its furniture which in terms of the booths would be a ixed
element make an enhancement in terms of the proportions of a space. Combined
with this, comes the materiality; the soft wood of the tables and benches create
a counter balancing soft resonance to the hard tones which may be relected
from the hard surfaces such as tiled loor or stoned walls. The measurement of
openings through ‘static’ elements to a space – e.g. ire places, door and booth
openings, contribute to the soundscape by letting certain snippets of sound to
escape or contribute to another spatial soundscape. The public house in general
is essentially designed for the engagement of social interaction and human
enjoyment. The focal point of any given interior is usually the bar area where
there would be at least a metre space around the bar for customers to buy
drinks. Secondly, the furniture, if not ixed is nearly always orientated around
small circular tables or in the case of many of the pubs in Belfast with built in
booths where only a certain number of customers can sit. This encourages the
‘casual’ element due to the fact that these booths cannot it big groups of people
within. In contributing to the soundscape therefore the booths disperse the
element of ‘human noise’ around the space, which is then sometimes cordoned
off into zones by wooden partitions much like that of Maddens. Typically the
‘zones’ become quite different when we look at Kelly’s Cellars and the Duke of
York. They both contain spaces which are more open in terms of furniture yet
the proportions of the spaces within the partitions establish different, ‘wider’
tones within the soundscape where the resonance of the note may linger slightly
longer. There is more of a sense of ‘openness’ when in proximity of the musi-
cian’s area and the performance can arguably satisfy both the musicians and the
performer in terms of volume within the ‘session zone’ and outside of it.

38
The location of beams which is a structural, design element to the establish-
ments plays a vital role in the in-between soundscapes. In the Duke of York, the
beam acts as an invisible barrier where by the musicians are located on one side,
and most of the audience members sit on the other. Although the musicians
are on the same level as the audience, there is a natural draw for the audience
passed the ‘barrier’ whereby they receive a condensed sound established by
the source within the conined space, which is brought out into the openness of
the rest of the elongated plan. This could also be related to the step in the John
Hewitt, where there is an invisible, but arguably a more established barrier
between musicians and audience, yet the soundscape is shared more equally
between musicians and audience due to the openness of the rest of the establish-
ment’s interior space.

These are all luid spaces where movement is a common factor in each study.
As there is never really a ixed location for these Irish music sessions, there is
always a sense of ambiguity where the situation and location of the performance
shifts. This can affect the number of musicians being able to ‘join in’ and de-
pending on the number of musicians the volume of the performance is directly
affected. In conjunction with this, the audience can differ in size and concentra-
tion. This can sometimes depend on the day on which the traditional session
is taking place. The days nearest the weekend would contain more of a dense
crowd compared to those during the week. Performers, audience members and
bar staff all have different roles to play within the space and a lot of the sound-
scape is sculpted by the ‘territory’. As the performers are usually located in a
corner of a space, it becomes the focal point for the audience, who ill the gap
between the performance and the bar, which is speciically for bar staff. By look-
ing back at session space one in Madden’s which is located nearest the bar, it is
one where the initial surrounding area becomes densely populated quickly and
the audience surrounding the booth in question create a sound barrier as well
as a physical one which breaks up the soundscape for the rest of the space. The
audience therefore inhabits this ‘in-between’ space between the booth where the
session is taking place and the bar. However, here it becomes more of a static
space rather than that voiced on the ‘luidity’ argument put forward for in-
between spaces in this research. With this, one must remember that the audience
play a vital role in the soundscape and experience of a space. The in-between
element is emphasised on busier nights by the situation in which more of the
listeners ind themselves standing rather than sitting. This may create less scope
for movement depending on the density, however the standing nature of the
listeners suggests more of a connection between musicians and audience unlike
a concert hall or theatre where the audience are seated and on a lower level.

The unpredictability of a space is another ‘luid’ aspect which could arguably be

a catalyst for many other soundscape contributors. Public houses are usually

39
more popular on speciic days e.g. the weekend and speciic nights for enter-
tainment. The impromptu nature of traditional music however illustrates the
variety for which public houses are renowned. One could argue that the public
house remains a casual place to meet socially with no particular sense of des-
tination. In terms of the general soundscape; there is a heightened “ambience”
due to the ‘muzak’ nature of the music. There is characteristically no sense of
dominance within traditional sessions due to its acoustic nature, but at the same
time the materiality of the pub will have created soft and hard moments within
the music to produce zones where the music can be heard better than others.
As these spaces are not designed for performance, these ‘moments’ become ac-
cidental and reinforce the ephemeral nature of the music and space.

In conjunction to the ‘luidity’ of space, there are ranging deinitions of control

within the spaces. These are constricted by the physical, static elements previ-
ously mentioned such as the furniture and spatial coninements; it is also estab-
lished by the social entities surrounding the running of a public establishment.
Within the space of the musicians the control lies between themselves, and the
size of the session space controls the amount of musicians contributing to the
performance. The control of the audience is usually left down to remaining
space however, the density usually has to be watched and controlled by the bar
staff to make sure the space remains comfortable and accessible.

These spaces are never purposefully designed as performance spaces and

therefore examining the spaces gives a whole different meaning. If it is feasible
to choose a space (i.e. not busy), the process of choosing is usually down to
the musicians preference in terms of the space which comfortably suits their
individual instrument as well as the number of musicians. In this case, they
would also consider the soundscape and best choose the space which controls
the sound of the performance against any background noise. This is a charac-
teristic that needs to be drawn upon within site analysis. One can analyse space
through elements such as measurement, movement, density, proportion, and
scale yet the careful consideration of soundscape from an unpredictable, acous-
tic aspect, isn’t often addressed by architects.

By using acoustic instruments to understand an in-between space, one can be

drawn to how the space feels with the combination of the visual and the audio
rather than one ‘sense at a time’. Essentially, sound and architecture both deal
with space and need to be addressed together, not just in terms of performance,
but in ways that will affect the simplest of social interaction such as conversa-
tion. The importance of sound is also driven (especially in Belfast) by the en-
gagement of local communities. As seen in the ‘Belfast Sound Map’, the public
houses which have been evaluated all have attributes which are unique to the
city and could be seen as encouraging the engagement of local communities
within the city centre. However, in this particular project, the research is only
40
addressing one type of ‘in-between’ space – the public house. To further the
research, it would be interesting to examine outdoor public space which may
be used for busking and might contain the similar elements addressed in this
research.

The understanding of soundscapes for architects should be a fundamental

component within site analysis. Although hard to map, It remains a dominant
sense within the human perception which cannot be ignored, especially within
social space. By listening to these spaces, one will create a deeper knowledge
and understanding of proportions, movement, the human element etc. and by
building upon thisarchitecture will be able to attune itself more closely to an
urban landscape. By looking at the broader soundscape of the city and zoning
into the in-between spaces, there is an understanding of potential stimuli for
surrounding communities to use the city centre. In experiencing the ephemeral
soundscape a social ‘melting pot’ may be the outcome. One could establish that
in-between soundscapes can be unique to a space and combined; they could
arguably create a ‘voice’ for speciic areas achieving a combined identity unique
to place. And by making city inhabitants more aware of ‘in-between’ and wider
soundscapes, there may be more of a case or incentive for soundscapes to be one
of the forefront considerations within design relative to its context.

The ‘In-between’ element to this research is focused on the fact that these spaces
seem to be more accidental in the moments that they seem to create. Older, more
established public houses were not designed with performance in mind. How-
ever they became public ‘hubs’ for music, song and dance and their soundscapes
will remain as long as the space is there. This can be related therefore to other
shared space whether they are destinations, or in-between spaces. Although it
has been established that it is hard to map sound, there is the potential to read
a space differently. It becomes a catalyst for local conversation and listening to
the local context and community. The context of a place is made of not only the
architecture and landscape, but the cultural sounds of the music and even the
accents. In a post-conlict city such as Belfast, this should be a necessary way of
understanding context. It poses questions as to what entices certain people to
come to such spaces. In order to design for the public we must broaden our hori-
zon by a greater analysis of soundscape; to do so the architect would do well to
focus on listening more to the environment.

41
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2014].

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Museum of Modern Art.

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Oxford: Clarendon Press.

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org/interactives/exhibitions/2013/soundings/artists/6/works/ [Accessed:
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and new methodological spaces. MRes. University of Strathclyde.

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Sterne, J. 2012. The sound studies reader. New York: Routledge.

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9.0 List of Figures Figure 1 : Steven Holl: Stretto House, Exploded axonomet-
ric III [1991] http://www.stevenholl.com/project-detail.
php?type=houses&id=26 12

Figure 2 : Xeniakis, I. Diatope – Combination of sound and light,

[1977] Ianis xenakis http://www.tunedcity.net/?page_id=362 13

Figure 3 : Map of Belfast highlighting city centre 20

Figure 4 : City centre map showing chosen public houses 20

Figure 5 : Sketch elevation – Madden’s Bar 21

Figure 6 : Sketch Plan – Madden’s Bar 22

Figure 7 : Section through session space one – booth 23

Figure 8 : Sketch elevation – Kelly’s Cellars 25

Figure 9 : Sketch plan – Kelly’s Cellars 27

Figure 10 : Section through session space 28

Figure 11 : Sketch elevation – The Duke of York 29

Figure 12 : Plan of session space – The Duke of York 30

Figure 13 : Sketch elevation of bar in session space 31

Figure 14 : Sketch elevation – The John Hewitt 33

Figure 15 : Sketch plan – The John Hewitt 34

Figure 16 : Section through performance space 35

44