At only seventeen years old, Billie Eilish conquered the music charts (and our ears) with her whimsical tones. Her debut album, When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? became the best performing album in the USA in 2019. This album included six singles which were a part of the Billboard Hot Top 40 songs. In 2020, she won five Grammy awards and is one of the youngest recipients of this award.
The record-breaking artist has a very distinct style of music and can be classified under alternative pop or indie pop. Her music is dark, goth, and mysterious, which is well reflected in her personality as well. While her slurry and soft voice can transcend you into tranquillity, it is contradicted by the rebellious and dark mannerisms of the lyrics. Her music is a fascinating experimental overlap of different musical styles that seem to come together almost effortlessly- and this explains why her songs have been at the top of numerous music charts all over the globe.
As an architect, the rebellious, dark, yet tranquil nature of her music, as well as a personality, could be very well translated into built forms. I imagine that her architectural style would be a unique blend of Brutalist and Modern Gothic architecture with a touch of parametric forms. Perhaps the influence of Art Nouveau would also be evident in her works.
Renowned French architect Odile Decq has a personal style quite similar to Billie Eilish’s – they are both equally rebellious and have a mysterious aura. She has often been referred to as the “punk rock architect.”
The Saint-Ange Residency in France by Studio Odile Decq could be very well imagined to be designed by Billie Eilish as well. Her style can be very well emulated in the dark material palette of the façade and the eccentric form of the structure. On one corner, the building has an elongated sloping profile that reminds one of the pointed sloping roofs common to traditional gothic architecture.
Legendary Architect Antoni Gaudi was popular for his highly individualized style. He was also quite rebellious in his way- and developed an architectural language of his own. He was mainly influenced by Gothic and Oriental architecture. A great example of what I think could be by Billie Eilish’s style as an architect is Antoni Gaudi’s Casa Mila. The undulating curves, stone façade, and bold appearance could be connected and compared to Billie Eilish’s fashion of architecture. Furthermore, a darker material and color palette would truly give it the dark and eccentric character that reflects the pop sensation’s elusive technique.
GEOtube, by Faulders studio in California, is a unique proposal for a building in Dubai. Over time, the façade of the structure will ultimately grow a natural skin, by using a salt deposit growth system obtained from the saline water quality of the Persian Gulf. As this water touches the façade of the building, crack-like salt deposits will start to form which will give the building a naturally grown exterior. I relate the look and feel of this building to Billie Eilish’s aesthetic for two reasons- one because this concept is extremely one-of-a-kind and two because the skin and the interiors as well as the superstructure emit a spooky and eerie aura, much akin to Eilish’s creative semblance.
Mexican architect Javier Senosiain’s Nico De Quetzalcoatl, named after the Aztec serpent god Quetzalcoatl, is a meandering structure that resembles a snake. The USP of this villa on Airbnb is “Sleep in a snake’s belly.” The undulating curves and slithering tunnels that connect the different rooms truly give it a very serpentine feel. The entire structure meanders around a garden, such that connectivity between the interiors and the lush gardens is never lost, thus retaining the tranquility of the entire space. This is a building that could also be well related to Billie Eilish’s style, as the bold, adventurous, yet serene environment created by this structure remains unparalleled by any other architect to this date. While the color palette of this unique structure is a tad bit too bright for Eilish’s aesthetic, perhaps it could be an experimental one!
In the music video for Billie Eilish’s video You Should See Me In A Crown, the singer, boldly enough, has spiders crawling all over her face and out of her mouth. Louise Bourgeois’ Maman, is a sculptural installation that could also possibly be linked to Billie Eilish’s style. In the late 1990s, Bourgeois became fascinated with spiders and began using these creatures as a central aspect of her art. Maman is a steel and marble sculpture of a spider. Standing at more than 9 meters high, the original sculpture was made in marble and steel and first displayed at the Tate Modern in London, in the year 2000. Six editions of the same have been cast in bronze and installed in prominent locations all over the world.
The Spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. My family was in the business of tapestry restoration, and my mother was in charge of the workshop. Like spiders, my mother was very clever. Spiders are friendly presences that eat mosquitoes. We know that mosquitoes spread diseases and are therefore unwanted. So, spiders are helpful and protective, just like my mother. -Louise Bourgeois on Maman
It would be fascinating to see Billie Eilish’s out-of-the-world creations as an architect, and they would undoubtedly win awards and hearts internationally. However, while we convince her to try her hand at architecture, let us continue listening to her placidly unique music!
