Luminous and Resonant Porcelain Architecture

Acoustic Domes | Resonant Bricks

This project investigates porcelain as a structural, luminous and resonant architectural material. Through a system of individually designed Parian porcelain bricks, I am developing self-supporting acoustic domes that function simultaneously as sculpture, architecture and musical instrument. These naturally luminous structures cultivate circulate and return resonance, inviting visitors to enter spaces where sound, light and material become inseparable.

Each dome is constructed from unique modular bricks 3D designed and printed and hand-crafted plaster moulds. Some bricks retain their casting necks as acoustic openings, allowing the architecture itself to function as a distributed Helmholtz resonator. The project combines my passion for sculpture that embodies luminance and resonance. Perhaps also revealing what porcelain do that no other architectural material can do.

Parian - the tone of bone

Although traditionally associated with nineteenth-century sculpture, I use Parian because of its remarkable combination of translucency, density and resonance. During the development of a series of porcelain chime domes, I discovered that Parian consistently produced the richest and most sustained acoustic response while maintaining an extraordinary softness of light.

Its mineral composition, high vitrification and fine crystalline structure create a material that appears to glow rather than simply reflect light. I am interested in Parian to surpass its reputation as imitation marble, and as a ceramic material with unique architectural potential capable of transmitting light, sustaining vibration and holding harmonic space.

The Three Graces Project

The Three Graces is a long-term sculptural research project investigating three monumental porcelain architectures inspired by the planetary harmonies of Venus, the Sun and Jupiter. Drawing upon the Renaissance philosophy of Marsilio Ficino, harmonic geometry, cosmology and contemporary material research, each structure explores a different relationship between proportion, resonance and embodied experience.

The first realised work, the Venus Dome, forms the foundation of this wider programme. Alongside a series of resonant porcelain chime domes, the project seeks to establish a new language of luminous and resonant porcelain architecture.

Project Ambition

This research seeks to expand the possibilities of Parian porcelain beyond its traditional role as a medium for vessels and sculpture, positioning it instead as a material for architecture, public space and collective listening. By combining ceramic innovation, computational design, harmonic geometry and acoustic research, I aim to develop new methods of constructing self-supporting porcelain structures capable of carrying both light and sound.

The long-term ambition is to realise a series of publicly accessible porcelain architectures that invite contemplation, listening and participation, while contributing to contemporary conversations around ceramics, material research and speculative architecture. Each prototype advances a wider investigation into how porcelain might shape new forms of architectural experience through resonance, precision and light.

My long term ambition is to create a large public dome where Breath Quartet performances and others may take place. This is a life long journey.