Bringing Music to Midtown
Recreating an Urban Community

Although advanced communication technology has redefined the boundaries of community, the need to identify oneself with a place and a people has not changed. What role does architecture play in recapturing a sense of community?

This thesis seeks to explore the relationship of architecture and community through the establishment of a city music center. The Midtown Music Center's mission is to create a place for musicians to increase their musical abilities and to serve as an entertainment venue, featuring students and local artists. Additionally, the center provides an opportunity to investigate the role of music in architectural form.

The site is located in the Midtown district of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, an area long-slated for revitalization. Adjacent to the site, the city marketplace adds another layer of complexity in examining the interaction of social and cultural values with architectural form. Creating a city node, redefining the edges of the market place and making connections within the city are all aspects of urban intervention to be examined, which aim at restoring the Midtown Market District of the hub of activity it once was.

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