Art.itecture #2 – Building Emotion: How Music and Architecture Shape Human Experience

08:30 AM – 11:30 AM, Sat 04 Apr 2026
Grand Hall – Vietnam National Academy of Music
77 Hào Nam, Ô Chợ Dừa ward, Đống Đa district, Hanoi
Registration link

From the organizer:

Art.itecture #2 combines lecture, live performance demonstrations, and audience discussion, creating a unique, multisensory dialogue between architecture and symphonic music.

At the heart of the event is a presentation by Olivier Ochanine, internationally acclaimed conductor and Music Director of the Sun Symphony Orchestra (SSO), in collaboration with SSO musicians, who form one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic and rapidly developing orchestras. The program concludes with an open discussion between Olivier Ochanine, architect Hoang Vu Lan, and the audience. The event aims to engage participants intellectually while offering direct sensory experiences of space, time, sound, and rhythm, evoking emotional responses and new ways of thinking.

Olivier Ochanine will explore the structural parallels between symphonic music and architecture, emphasising their shared role in shaping human experience. He said: In architecture and music, we do not merely construct spaces or produce sounds; we create the conditions for human emotions to emerge. We shape space – and space, in turn, shapes us.

Complimenting the musical viewpoint, architect Hoang Vu Lan, the program’s moderator, reflects on the motivation behind the ART.ITECTURE series from the architectural perspective: To address the challenges we face, we need to broaden our understanding. Every day, architects and artists alike can encounter creative blocks. Perhaps if we engaged more deeply with other art forms and with culture, those ‘blocks’ could be thoroughly resolved. I have long envisioned this: a platform whose mission is to offer a different perspective on architecture – one shaped by voices from outside the architectural and construction professions, and, of course, bringing truly distinct viewpoints. That is why we call it Art and Architecture, ART.ITECTURE.

Art.itecture #2 is an event within the ART.ITECTURE dialogue series, which seeks to expand perspectives on architecture through artistic exploration and experiential engagement, fostering new intellectual associations. Guided by the core values “Unique – Creative – Global”, ART.ITECTURE promotes a human-centred vision of architecture as a cultural practice deeply connected to people and society.

Art.itecture #2 is initiated and organised by the Design Management Division of Sun Group, in collaboration with Sunjin Vietnam and the Sun Symphony Orchestra (SSO). The program is supported by sponsors JC Design Group; Cubic Architect; ME+ Architect; EGO Group; and media partner Kien Viet Media, along with contributions from universities and institutions in architecture, construction, art and creative disciplines.

The event Art.itecture #2 – Building Emotion: How Music and Architecture Shape Human Experience is open to the public free of charge and requires prior registration.

About the ART.ITECTURE series

ART.ITECTURE emerges in response to the growing global movement toward interdisciplinary creativity. Its name reflects the fusion of ART and ARCHITECTURE – symbolising the organic and multidimensional relationship between the two fields.
The series is designed for architects, artists, students of art and architecture, researchers, educators, and anyone interested in interdisciplinary creativity.

With the guiding message of “Not seeking answers from architecture, but better questions through art,” ART.ITECTURE aims to broaden architectural thinking by situating architecture within a wider creative ecosystem – where music, cinema, visual arts, performance, and emerging artistic forms contribute to new perspectives and understandings.

Built upon the core values “Unique – Creative – Global”, ART.ITECTURE emphasises the interconnected relationship between architecture, people, and art, fostering a humanistic approach that serves society.

Scheduled across 2026 and 2027, each event in the series focuses on a distinct theme, exploring intersections between architecture and other creative disciplines. The inaugural event, Art.itecture #1: Five Seconds of Freedom – Seeding Creativity in Architecture and Cinema, was successfully held with the participation of internationally acclaimed filmmaker François Girard, Academy Award winner for The Red Violin.

Future events in the series will continue to explore connections between architecture and fields such as sculpture, performance art, painting, and beyond.

ART.ITECTURE is initiated and organized by the Design Management Division of Sun Group, in collaboration with various design and creative consulting companies, academic institutions, and Kien Viet Media as the media partner.

About Olivier Ochanine

Olivier Ochanine, Music Director of the Sun Symphony Orchestra, is an internationally recognised conductor and a recipient of the First Prize at the Antal Dorati International Conducting Competition and The American Prize (2015). He is a talented and passionate musical leader. Under his baton, SSO performances bring a generous and abundant energy to audiences. He is also an engaging and lively speaker, as well as a dedicated music educator who actively communicates and explains symphonic music to the public.

SSO is currently one of the most dynamic orchestras in Southeast Asia. Under Ochanine’s leadership, it has collaborated with world-class artists such as Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Sumi Jo, Sergei Dogadin, and Benjamin Grosvenor.

In addition to his performance activities, Ochanine actively contributes to education and the development of the music community. SSO regularly organises performances and inspires a love of music in schools. Olivier also frequently teaches conducting and ensemble classes and has served as a guest conductor in charge of the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth program, supporting young talents from disadvantaged backgrounds.

About Sun Symphony Orchestra

Founded in 2017 with the support of Sun Group, the Sun Symphony Orchestra aspires to become a world-class Vietnamese orchestra, enriching cultural life through music and setting new standards for the arts in Vietnam.

The orchestra brings together outstanding classical musicians from Vietnam and around the world. Its long-term mission includes delivering high-quality performances to audiences nationwide through its main classical symphony season, chamber music programs, and nurturing young Vietnamese musical talent through educational initiatives.

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