Adhan

This project was the third part of my studio courses series of timekeeping devices. We were tasked with designing a timekeeping device that fit a randomized list of constraints.

Hand-drawn type
Do not use digital tools
Make it cry

These idiosyncratic constraints led me to create Adhan:
a sculptural call to prayer.

Sketch Models

Model Making

Final

Adhan cries out a call to prayer with a deep gong. This sculptural word, inspired by Arabic calligraphy, slowly shifts over time. Five times a day, for Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha, the device springs back into place with a resonant strike of one of the hollow, dark bronze characters. The form of each “letter” affects the sound it produces, translating typography into sound.

These bronze elements were modeled over two days using molded sheets of museum board. Granite texture spray and spray paint (copper, gold, green, and grey) were layered and sanded to create a sandblasted patinaed bronze effect.