Nestled within the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin, stands Prairie Cord – a mesmerising installation by Brian Peters that is widely regarded as one of the most intelligent fusions of public art, parametric architecture, and cutting-edge technology.
This delicate, lattice-like hemispherical arch appears to float effortlessly above a shallow reflecting pool. Its perfect reflection in the water completes a full cylinder, creating a magical, almost illusory visual experience. Throughout the day and night, the interplay of light, shadow, and rippling reflections draws visitors deep into a poetic dialogue between nature and form. At night, warm LED lighting enhances the glow and amplifies the sensation of weightless suspension.
Though from a distance Prairie Cord looks like a weightless, ethereal volume gently resting on the water’s surface, it is in fact securely anchored to robust concrete footings and an inset wood-and-steel frame concealed within the pool. This striking visual contrast between apparent lightness and actual structural solidity is one of the project’s most captivating features, seamlessly marrying advanced technology with thoughtful, site-specific sensitivity.
The structure consists of 80 stoneware ceramic blocks, all 3D-printed in Brian Peters’ Pittsburgh studio.
After printing, each block is hand-finished, glazed, and high-fired to ensure both durability and the authentic texture of traditional ceramics.
A total of 16 unique patternswere designed (each block roughly 30 × 20 × 10 cm( with varying degrees of tapering and perforation depending on their position within the arch.
The result is a dynamic, lightweight lattice that gives the entire installation dimensions of 3 × 1.2 × 1.8 metres while filtering light in a truly mesmerising way.
The primary inspiration for Prairie Cord comes from the region’s native prairie plant, Prairie Cord Grass.
Its tall, vertical, fibrous, and gently swaying structure directly informed the parametric patterns of the blocks and introduced the concept of “jostling” – a soft, organic movement.
This creates dancing speckles of light that shift and flicker like grass blades catching the breeze.
Even the slightest wind passes through the open lattice, lending the space a living, breathing quality. As the sun moves across the sky, the installation constantly changes its expression, ensuring it is never the same twice
Prairie Cord is far more than a temporary art installation or conceptual sculpture; it offers a compelling preview of a sustainable, human-centred architectural future.
Here, parametric design, bespoke 3D printing, traditional materials like ceramics, and deep ecological sensitivity converge to create an entirely new experience of space, material, and light.
In a world where technology often distances us from nature, this modest arch gently reminds us that we can be cutting-edge, environmentally responsible, and profoundly poetic and human—all at the same time.
If you ever find yourself in Madison, make sure to visit Olbrich Botanical Gardens and spend a few quiet moments beneath this arch.
I promise that the “admonishing beauty” Brian Peters speaks of, the kind that quietly moves and gently reproaches at the same time, will completely captivate you.