Madison Cook Lab Exhibition

Over the past several weeks, second-year students in Madison Cook’s lab have been crafting collaborative research essays exploring a range of topics related to the history and cultural significance of bell towers. Through their writing, they hoped to identify generative architectural concepts to anchor contemporary design proposals.

Students studied the intricate practice of “change ringing,” which involves ringing tuned bells in complex mathematical patterns, and reflected on the etymology of “echo,” rooted in the Greek myth of Echo and Narcissus. They discovered poems, such as Rainer Maria Rilke’s “Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower,” and explored the history of graphic scores in collaboration with School of Performing Arts faculty member Eduardo Sato.

Ideas were developed iteratively, culminating in architectural proposals. Each student constructed a cardboard model at ¼”=1’-0,” featuring 333 steps, a belfry, a ropes room, and an echo chamber. Section drawings and collages contributed additional ideas about proportion, color, texture, and atmosphere.

This week, the lab exhibited their bell tower fantasies in the Cowgill Lobby. The exhibition provided a transformational opportunity for interdisciplinary and creative discussions about the research and design process.