EXPERIENCE ARCHITECTURE-INSPIRED MUSIC

北京 · 上海 · 深圳

Beijing | Shanghai | Shenzhen

Musicity

The German writer Goethe once described architecture as a

solidified music. Although the two are independent art forms,

they can be connected together in one’s subconscious mind.

Since the invention of the walkman, people can walk around the

city streets with music playing at any time, and composers have

begun to integrate urban elements into their works, creating an

organic combination of architecture and music.

Founded in 2010 by DJ and BBC broadcaster Nick Luscombe,

Musicity invites recording artists to compose tracks in response

to buildings and locations in cities around the world. It has taken

its programme of events to Tokyo, Singapore, Oslo, Tallinn and

Seoul as well as a relaunch in London in autumn 2017, having

created more than 50 soundtracks, from musicians like Ghost-

poet, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Hannah Peel etc.

This autumn, Musicity launches in China’s Beijing, Shanghai and

Shenzhen by the introduction of the British Council in China, with

a theme of ‘Urban Regeneration’. Four UK musicians including

Nick Luscombe and ten Chinese musicians created new music

for 21 architectures across three cities. Audience can access

the music through Musicity WeChat Mini Programme bound with

‘UK_Now’ WeChat public account.

Musicity WeChat Mini Programme is available since 22 Sep-

tember 2018. There are also a series of offline events including

concerts, lectures, and exhibitions alongside to unveil the sto-

ries of the musicians’ collaboration and cultural exchange. In an

age when so much music is available in an instant via streaming

services, Musicity wants to bring back the joy of seeking it out,

encouraging audiences to be active consumers of contempo-

rary music, to explore cities and to experience architecture and

the urban environment in new and unexpected ways.

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Beijing City Brief

Hutongs (traditional alleyways), courtyards and historic build-

ings all come to mind when people think of Beijing. In Beijing,

how the old city can integrate well with modern life has become

a topic of constant discussion among many architects and

designers. This time we focus our attention on the Baita Pagoda

and the Qianmen area, where the fusion of old and new build-

ings provide a wealth inspiration for musicians. There are two

special places among the buildings this time: Zhihua Temple

and the WF Central Serpentine Pavilion Beijing. The temple is

no longer used for religious functions but still remains a classic

example of Ming dynasty architecture, creating a stark contrast

of old and new Beijing when juxtaposed with the nearby Soho.

The WF Central Serpentine Pavilion Beijing is a new work of WF

Central’s art district. The pavilion was unveiled in May and is on

display until the end of October. When the pavilion is gone, the

music will still remain.

As China’s cultural capital, Beijing also once witnessed a vibrant

music scene. This time, we’ve invited three local musicians

to participate in Musicity Beijing: rock and roll old hand Zhou

Fengling, AI+ band and up-and-coming electronic music star

Fishdoll. In addition to Nick Luscombe, we’ve also invited British

AI music composer Ash Koosha and cellist Abi Wade. Ash and

AI+ also dedicate a piece of music they composed together to

one of the venues.

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Architectures, musicians, and concept notes

Baitasi RemadeMusician: Nick Luscombe (UK)

Baita Pagoda Historical and Cultural Preservation Area is the oldest

cultural heritage area in Beijing. It is the only large piece of urban

landscape remaining from the Yuan Dynasty in Beijing. The “Baitasi

Remade Project” uses a micro-circulation and organic renewal model

to create a new cultural area that blends traditional historical features

with modern facilities while allowing Baita Temple to be a place where

people can live once again. (*Baitasi Common Room is the location to

unlock the mini programme.)

Concept note: “When I collected sound

materials in Beijing, I saw children play,

old men play board games on the street

nearby… I felt as if I was in a dream,

woken only by the electric bikes beeping

and speeding their way skilfully through

the narrow streets… My work depicts my

drifting psycho-geographical adventures

during my first 24 hours here.”

The Fusuijing BuildingMusician: Zhou Fengling

The Fusuijing Building, also known as the “Socialist Building” was con-

structed in 1958. Its prominent feature includes the public cafeteria.

It is an eight-storey building and was the earliest residential building

with elevators in Beijing. The 25,000-square-meter “Z”-shaped building

is so grand that it is difficult to get a complete picture from any angle

when viewing it from the hutong community northwest of Baita Temple

where it is situated. According to a research, the initial design of the

Fusuijing Building considered its sociality and professionality.

Concept note:“The Building is of Soviet-

style from the 1950s. This solemn and

stately tower is situated in the area of

the old Beijing courtyards. I have a feel-

ing of solemnity, accompanied a sense

of illusion and a gloomy depression, but

also with a beautiful vision of socialism.”

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Baitasi Hutong GalleryMusician: Abi Wade (UK)

Baitasi Hutong Gallery is located in Baita Pagoda Historical and Cultur-

al Preservation Area and is part of “Baitasi Remade”. In addition to the

traditional courtyards, there are a large number of two-story concrete

buildings in this area, which were favoured by local residents needing

more living space. The Gallery takes this restructuring scheme even

further and facilities for public use are introduced in the Hutong block,

including public exhibition halls and resident art studios, providing

new places for community events and cultural exchanges.

Concept note: “The Hutong Gallery was

built in the heart of the Hutong streets.

It’s a gallery and artist residential area.

I was inspired by the fluidity of the light

in the building and how each room

is connected to the floors below and

above by channels of light. Using the

reverb of each room and the sound of

moving footsteps, I designed the piece

to progress with the change in acoustics.”

Zhihua TempleMusicians: Ash Koosha (UK), AI+

Located in Lumicang Hutong in Dongcheng District, Zhihua Temple is

a Han Buddhist temple that is the most well-preserved Ming Dynasty

wooden structure in Beijing. It has a history of more than 570 years.

The Jingyin music of Zhihua has been passed down from generation to

generation. Now the 27th generation of musicians are preserving and

performing this classic art. It retains the musical style of the early Ming

Dynasty and is known as the “living fossil of ancient Chinese music.”

Concept note: “We are very inspired by

this temple’s tranquility and spirituality.

We ‘told’ IBM Watson Music our feelings

and preferred music style. With its help,

the system created a soundtrack and

we then used a variety of synthesizers

to synthesize.”

The Fusuijing BuildingMusician: Zhou Fengling

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Beijing FunMusician: Fishdoll

Beijing Fun is located about 100 meters from Tiananmen Square. The

Dashilan district in which it is located was established during the early

reign of emperor Yongle and is not only Beijing’s traditional commerce

district, but also the centre of Chinese drama culture – Peking opera

evolved here. A number of Chinese architects played the leading role

in the Dashilan Renewal Plan, which sought to reproduce the unique

Ming and Qing Dynasty residential buildings and commercial buildings

of China’s republican era. It is one of the main exhibition areas of Beijing

International Design Week.

Concept note:“Music is full of imagery,

and unlike the traditional methods of

composition, is more about using the

various levels of sound to create a kind

of multisensory world. The design of the

building is connected to a stimulation

of the senses, while the senses interact

with emotions. ”

Da Mo ChangMusician: Ash Koosha (UK)

Since the Ming Dynasty, Da Mo Chang area has been a place where

craftsmen gather. It played a large role in helping South Beijing’s handi-

craft industry to prosper. Since the start of the “Da Mo Chang” project in

2015, seven internationally renowned architects, paying careful atten-

tion to historical authenticity, have created seven different courtyard

spaces and transformed Da Mo Chang into a shared office, residence,

food and entertainment space.

Concept note: “The approach is to take

all imagery and audio recordings from

here to softwares in order to learn a

variety of visual qualities, similar the

human brain’s processing of imagery.

The replicated process of composing in

this case is hoping to discover an onto-

logically objective formula from how the

human creator perceives, gets inspired

and creates.”

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Serpentine Pavilion BeijingMusician: AI+

This year, in cooperation with WF Central, the Serpentine Pavilion Beijing

was unveiled in May, and is currently on display for half a year. The de-

sign was inspired by Confucianism and is characterized by the figure of

an archer, in the form of a curved cantilever beam that incorporates the

forces of elasticity through cables stretched between steel plates.

Concept note: “Located among the

old hutongs in Beijing, the Serpentine

Pavilion Beijing is a symbol of the fusion

of Chinese and Western culture. Looking

at it from a distance, you feel a surreal

attraction to pass through it, or just

stop for a moment to admire this multi-

layered space.”

Beijing FunMusician: Fishdoll

Da Mo ChangMusician: Ash Koosha (UK)

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Shanghai City Brief

Being a city rich in cultural resources, it is no surprise that

Shanghai’s urban renewal has been culturally-focused. Today, it

not only retains the vestiges of large-scale industrial develop-

ment, but also contains a unique network of urban landscapes

and cultural places. How can the art district work with these

places to better meet the needs of residents?

Musicity Shanghai has selected seven special locations that

represent the cultural architecture of Shanghai’s developmen-

tal paths during different periods. These structures may be

renovated old factories or buildings from a bygone era that

have been repurposed for something new. What kind of inspira-

tion will this bring to musicians? Musicity Shanghai has invited

Duck Fight Goose frontman Han Han, cutting-edge musician

33EMYBW, Sheng player Zhang Meng, ethnic Kazakh Anuar Kal-

dekhan and British musicians Simon James, Abi Wade and Nick

Luscombe to collaborate and create new music showcasing the

characteristics of these unique structures. Abi Wade and Zhang

Meng are working together to produce new tracks.

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The Shanghai Concert Hall, formerly known as the Nanjing Grand Thea-

tre, opened in 1930. Being the first concert hall in all of China, it was

renamed Beijing Cinema in 1950, and again the Shanghai Concert Hall

in 1959. The Nanjing Grand Theatre was the first building of western

classical style designed and built by Chinese architects in Shanghai.

The task was led by Fan Wenzhao, himself the first Chinese designer

to return from studying overseas. In 2002, in order to allow for the

construction of the park below Yan’an Elevated Road, engineers un-

dertook a daunting task as part of a renovation and expansion project,

moving the entire building 66.4 meters to the southeast. It reopened

to the public in 2004.

Concept note: “This track, named ‘Shanghai

Blue’, is dedicated to the wonderful Shanghai

Concert Hall. The central violin piece is written

and performed by London-based musician

and composer Midori Komachi, and it reflects

the serene beauty of this magnificent space.

I was impressed to learn that the entire 5000

ton concert hall was lifted and shifted over 66

metres to make way for a new road! I imagined

some of the micro sounds of that amazing feat

with electrical pulses and clicks representing

the hydraulic systems used. The track also

features the sound of a mobile phone gaming

app, as played by a taxi driver en route to the

concert hall.”

Architectures, musicians, and concept notes

Shanghai Concert HallMusician: Nick Luscombe (UK)

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Power Station of ArtMusician: Abi Wade (UK)

Founded in 2012, Power Station of Art is the first public contemporary

art museum in mainland China and the main venue for the Shanghai

Biennale. It is located on the banks of the Huangpu River. The 165-meter

chimney is both a city landmark in Shanghai and an independent exhibi-

tion space. The buildings that the museum occupies today were origi-

nally the Nanshi Power Plant. During the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, it

served as the “Pavilion of the Future”. Power Station of Art has witnessed

Shanghai’s change from the industrial to the information age.

Concept note: “It was the first power sta-

tion here to light up the city. I’m inspired

by the layout of this building and split up

the floor plan to create a score for the

piece. I also created sample instruments

and soundscapes with the recordings

gathered from the space and the river

using contact microphones, hydro-

phones and a stereo hand recorder.”

1933 ShanghaiMusician: Simon James (UK)

1933 Shanghai was formerly the slaughterhouse of the Shanghai

Bureau of Industry and Commerce. The layout of the building is unique,

with the outside being square while the inside is round. The four

exterior walls form the square shape and are connected to a 24-sided

central atrium by a series of stairs and bridges. “Beamless flooring” was used in its construction, which was a very advanced technology at

that time. After being transformed into a space for creative industry,

1933 Shanghai was given new life in this era of artistic awakening.

Concept note: “This folklore combined

with the structure, led to a composition

that, just like the building itself, is full of

maze like patterns and sequences that

circle and loop around again and again.

I wanted to create a composition that

was easy to get lost in, where you never

quite know where you are, just like 1933,

where I got lost many times.”

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Sinan Books, Sinan MansionsMusician: 33EMYBW

Sinan Books is a European-style villa built in 1926. It is currently part

of the Sinan Mansions. The ground floor displays books of history and

philosophy; the second floor serves as the main entrance and offers

Chinese and foreign bestsellers; the third floor offers arts books. The

fourth floor has a collection of foreign ancient books and the space can

be used for events.

Concept note: “Sinan Books’ spatial

organization and functionality are where

its appeal lies. My piece is inspired by

the sound of feet stepping on wooden

stairs on different floors. Its rhythm will

grow with the building and it will connect

people, time and city. ”

West Bund Art CenterMusician: Han Han

The West Bund Art Center was originally a factory building of the

Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Plant. In one sense, it has preserved

the awe-inspiring grandeur of the original plant by leaving its large

space fully intact, highlighting the imprints of time through the com-

bination of old and new. In another, the decision to leave the east and

west facade gables unenclosed also means that this old building with

an industrial past will open to the city with a new bearing.

Concept note: “The West Bund Art

Center is like a metaphorical, super-

scale art work. Whether from a practical

or conceptual point of view, these meta-

phors are about rebuilding, reorganizing

and reimagining our times.”

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The Great Theatre of China was opened in 1930 and wasis one of the

four major Beijing opera stages in the city. Beginning in 2012, British

theatre design company RHWL worked together with the Chinese design

team on a six-year renovation project completed in 2018. The theatre,

which has been restored to its former glory, has a comprehensive area

of 5,320 square meters and a three-story auditorium. Tian Qinxin, a

nationally-recognized first-rate stage play director, has been appointed

as the chief artistic director.

Concept note: What inspired us was a

famous Chinese opera performer’s name

connected to this theatre. I can’t say I

know the artist very well, but his name

still reverberates like thunder, so I lis-

tened again carefully to his (or her) work.

I hope Abi will like this master of art as

much as I do and together pay tribute

to that legendary artist of the Chinese

opera stage, Mr. Mei Lanfang!

1862 TheatreMusician: Anuar Kaldekhan

1862 Thertre, formerly known as Shanghai Shipyard which was estab-

lished by British businessmen, is now a multi-functional cultural venue

after being designed and remodeled by Japanese architect Kengo

Kuma for six years. It is made up of a cultural and commercial complex

consisting of three functional areas, including theatres, multi-purpose

halls and shops.

Concept note: “I arrived in Shanghai with

the grasslands and horses of Northwest-

ern China in my blood. I was a stranger

to the sea and ships. Yet my current

‘navigating’ and ‘nomadic state’ are what

led to the choice of the 1862 shipyard. I

decided to use rich tone samples in the

music piece named 1862. The sounds in

these four Chinese number characters

resemble a password.”

Great Theatre of ChinaMusicians: Abi Wade (UK) Zhang Meng

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Shenzhen City Brief

2018 is the 40th anniversary of China’s economic reform. During

these 40 years, Shenzhen has developed from a small fishing

village into a thriving metropolis full of promise where countless

people have come in hopes of making their dreams come true.

Musicity Shenzhen has chosen seven buildings stretching from

Shekou, the location of the original fishing village, northward to

OCT-LOFT. These buildings are visible symbols of Shenzhen’s 40-

year development and are also representative of its fast pace.

Here, the only thing that doesn’t change is change itself. How

to preserve the city’s memory while at the same time living with

its ever-changing nature has become a question in the minds of

many Shenzhen residents.

Nick Luscombe has collaborated with British musicians Simon

James and Ash Koosha, as well as Chinese musicians Zen Lu,

Shen Piji, and Gao Ying to create new music that captures the

essence of the city’s development. Musicity Shenzhen is also

cooperating with the Shenzhen Fringe Art Center to launch a

series of online and offline events during the festival.

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OCT-LOFT is located in the former eastern industrial zone of Shenzhen

Overseas Chinese Town (OCT). The original businesses that were here in

during the 1980’s were mostly “three-plus-one” industrial enterprises. In

2004, OCT Group transformed dozens of existing factories, warehouses

and dormitory buildings into the OCT-LOFT, attracting various types of

innovative industries to preserve the architectural form and historical

traces of the old factory buildings.

Concept note: (Zen Lu) “In 2006 it was still a

broken factory. Nowadays OCT Loft became

the most important cultural zone in the city,

but the art is moving away and I feel sad about

it.”

(Simon James) “Whilst visiting OCT-LOFT I

recorded many sounds including bamboo

using contact mics and gave these to Zen Lu

to begin the track. I then added additional

electronics using an instrument called the

Cocoquantus that suits the broken down fac-

tory, in an attempt to suggest both the history

of the area and Zen Lu’s sadness.”

OCT-LOFT Musicians: Simon James (UK) Zen Lu

Architectures, musicians, and concept notes

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OCT Art & Design Gallery Musician: Gao Ying、Gu Bo

OCT Art and Design Gallery is the first design-themed art museum in

China and opened in 2008. The building was originally built in the ware-

house of the Shenzhen Bay Hotel in the early 1980s. The Shenzhen Bay

Hotel had later turned into the Intercontinental Shenzhen, and the old

warehouse became a forgotten remnant of times gone by. The Gallery

breathed new life into the building. The designer built a new, separate

layer around the old construction – the overlapping glass walls of the

hexagonal steel structure retain the history and significance of the

building while also giving it a new architectural look.

Concept note: As a musician and singer

from Xinjiang, I have lived in Shenzhen

for 15 years. I want to use my voice and

Xinjiang musical instruments to show

you the natural and human landscapes

of Xinjiang as well as tell stories through

music. This will seek to be a cultural

export while remaining firmly grounded

within the local culture.

BaishizhouMusician: Zen Lu

Baishizhou is a dense, tangled residential area made up of what

were once five villages located in the Nanshan District of Shenzhen.

Baishizhou is a microcosm of the development of the times, contain-

ing the stories of many people striving to make their way. Now, as the

largest urban renewal project in Shenzhen is underway, the future of

Baishizhou has sparked heated discussions and concerns. Even in the

face of impending change, Baishizhou remains the place where dreams

begin.

Concept note: “An area that approximate-

ly accommodates 140,000 people.. How-

ever, this will soon disappear to become

a part of urban development history and

a memory in people’s minds. Before it

vanishes, I hope to preserve the memory

of this place through the creation of mul-

tidimensional recordings using sounds,

images, pictures and texts.”

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Tencent Seafront TowersMusician: Ash Koosha (UK)

Tencent’s new headquarters, the Tencent Seafront Towers, opened to

the public in November 2017. This unique building with futuristic and

technological capabilities can accommodate up to 12,000 employees.

Its design focuses on environmentally-friendly architecture, sustainable

development, and a consideration for the humanities, utilizing IoT and

AI technology. It serves as Tencent’s own IoT platform test base. The

building’s sky bridges symbolise interconnectivity, just as Shenzhen is

connected to the world.

Concept note: “I am aiming to explore human

creative process through computational rep-

lication of creative functions via the Muisicity

China project. The replicated process of

composing in this case is hoping to discover

an ontologically objective formula from how

the human creator perceives gets inspired

and creates.”

Shekou Fishing Harbour Musician: Shen Piji

After exiting from the Dongjiatou Metro station and walking along

Wanxia Road to the end, one comes across a white factory building em-

blazoned with four large, red characters meaning ‘Fisherman’s Wharf’ in

Chinese. As part of Shenzhen’s urban renewal plan, renovations officially

started in April 2018. Residents bid their final goodbyes to the last

remaining fisherman’s wharf in this century-old city as its lighthouse,

fishing boats and seafood have become but memories, being replaced

by a brand new aquarium and cultural business district.

Concept note: “The development of

Shekou has led to a clash between the

city’s modern business needs and the

hard work of those fishermen of the

past. Perhaps I can only go back to my

hometown to relive those much-revered

scenes of the fishermen hard at work, as

well as the familiar smell of the fish, the

sounds of the fishing boats and the sea,

and of the old fisherman’s songs.

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iFactoryMusician: Simon James (UK)

iFactory was the first glass factory in Shenzhen, Guangdong Float Glass

Factory, once stood. In 1985, with a goal of being the best in the world, it

became the testing ground for China’s economic reform and introduced

China’s first world-class float glass production line. Its products were ex-

ported to 19 countries and regions on four continents. In 2009, the float

glass factory was relocated, and iFactory took its place. In the mechanical

production hall, sand warehouse, silo, chimney and other original factory

buildings, a pluralistic birthplace of innovation was created.

Concept note: “The huge cavernous silos

at iFactory in Shenzhen, hold nothing

but reverb and dust now. But there was a

time when the four silos held the chemi-

cals needed to make glass. I’ve decided

to replace those long gone chemicals

with electronic sounds.”

Design SocietyMusician: Nick Luscombe (UK)

Design Society is a collaboration between China Merchants Shekou

Holdings and UK’s Victoria and Albert Museum. Sea World Culture and

Arts Center operated by Design Society was designed by Japanese ar-

chitect Fumihiko Maki, a Pritzker Architecture Prize winner. The elegant

white stone building features three cantilevered volumes, opening up

horizons to the surrounding mountain, sea and city, symbolising Design

Society’s role to become an important cultural interface between China

and the world, and its ambition to explore new frontiers for design.

Concept note: “This piece aims to tell the

incredible story of the recent vibrant

period of Shenzhen’s history from the

‘reform and opening’ policy from 1979 to

a city in 2018 that is considered second

only to Silicon Valley as a technology

hub. In Design Society designed by

Maki and Associates you can find many

aspects of the city’s creative energy. In

this track you can hear the sound of the

streets filled with people, and the voice

of Fumihiko Maki who calls his space

Peoples Hill.”

Tencent Seafront TowersMusician: Ash Koosha (UK)

Shekou Fishing Harbour Musician: Shen Piji

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Special thanks to the below partner organisations

Photo credits

Beijing© Baitasi Remade (Baitasi Remade,

Fusuijing Building)© Xia Zhi (Baitasi Hutong Gallery)© Yang Zhiguo (Zhihua Temple)© WF CENTRAL (Serpentine Pavilion

Beijing)© Beijing Fun (Beijing Fun)© Damochang (Damochang)

Shanghai© Shanghai Concert Hall© Power Station of Art© 1933 Shanghai

Scan to entre Musicity WeChat Mini Programme

© Sinan Books, Sinan Mansions© West Bund Art Center© 1862 Theatre© Great Theatre of China

Shenzhen© OCT-LOFT (OCT-LOFT)© Zhuangzhuang (Tencent)© Cui Liang (Shekou Fishing Harbour)© iFactory (iFactory)© Urbanus (OCT Art and Design Gal-

lery)© Design Society (Design Society)© Zen Lu (Baishizhou)

Supporting organisations: Beijing International Design Week, Baitasi

Remade, Zhihua Temple (Beijing Cultural Exchange Museum), WF Cen-

tral, Beijing Fun, Damochang, Flâneur, Shanghai Concert Hall, Power

Station of Art, 1933 Shanghai, Sinan Books, Sinan Mansions, West Bund

Art Centre, 1862 Theatre, Great Theatre of China, Shenzhen Fringe

Art Center, OCT-LOFT, OCT Art and Design Gallery, iFactory, Design

Society, Tencent Seafront Towers (In no particular order)

Local producers: Ni Bing (Beijing), Wang Tian (Shanghai), Dickson Dee

(Shenzhen)

Launch speaker supporters: Funktion-One, Phoenix Audio

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