roy yahalomi + or hetzroni cast musical bells from basalt rocks
all images courtesy of roy yahalomi

 

 

 

‘form follows sound’ is roy yahalomi’s graduation project from the holon institute of technology. the work is based on the research of a new ceramic material that the designer developed together with or hetzroni. the element is made out of basalt rocks, which needed to be ground into a powder and transformed to liquid. afterwards, plaster molds were shaped providing a cavern where the substance was poured.

 


video by tal hadar, courtesy of roy yahalomi

 

 

 

the natural gravel is made from different types of metal and glass, ingredients that provide its unique acoustic qualities. this fact fascinated yahalomi, leading him to perform studies in search of answers to multiple questions: ‘do different shapes of the material affect the sound? in which ways does sound move inside a shape? what are the conditions required for producing a sound? and if so, is it possible to determine the pitch every shape will produce?’ with his insights, a template was formed explaining the needed capacities and thicknesses for a series of 20 bells with harmonic sounds. the device is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional african guiro. 

roy yahalomi or hetzroni form follows sound musical bells basalt rocks holon institute of technology israel
the bells

roy yahalomi or hetzroni form follows sound musical bells basalt rocks holon institute of technology israel
bracket detail

roy yahalomi or hetzroni form follows sound musical bells basalt rocks holon institute of technology israel
the workshop

roy yahalomi or hetzroni form follows sound musical bells basalt rocks holon institute of technology israel
sketches

roy yahalomi or hetzroni form follows sound musical bells basalt rocks holon institute of technology israel
experimental pieces from the research

roy yahalomi or hetzroni form follows sound musical bells basalt rocks holon institute of technology israel
determining the pitches

roy yahalomi or hetzroni form follows sound musical bells basalt rocks holon institute of technology israel
the traditional guiro

 


video courtesy of roy yahalomi

roy yahalomi or hetzroni form follows sound musical bells basalt rocks holon institute of technology israel
students playing the instrument

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.