The fascinating possibilities of 3D printing are getting bigger, particularly with the unveiling of one of the most ambitious printed projects yet, the Baroque-by-way-of-Bitmapped sculpture titled Digital Grotesque. Conceived by architects Michael Hansmeyer and Benjamin Dillenburger, the duo claim their project is the world’s first 3D printed room. Computer algorithms designed most of the structure’s 260 million surfaces, which were printed in sections using a composite sand and binding agent to create a sandstone-like material. When each 4 meter tall, 1 meter wide and 3 meter deep sections were manually placed, the enclosure measures 16 feet and weighs a staggering 11 tons.
According to their website, the architects believe that “New materials and fabrication methods have historically led to radical changes in architectural design. They have indeed been the primary drivers in its evolution. Today, additive manufacturing heralds a revolution in fabrication for design. Yet in architecture, this technology has up to now been used only for small scale models. Digital Grotesque takes additive manufacturing technology to a true architectural scale. Not a small model is printed, but the actual room itself.”
Perhaps most compelling from an art perspective (or at least an art-historical perspective) is the logical conclusion the duo’s project makes. “The Digital Grotesque project opens the door to the printing of architecture. It suggests that 3D sandstone printing can be applied both to restoring historic buildings and to constructing new ones.” One can only imagine the possibilities that this technology will yield for museum research, archaeological recreation, and art exhibitions in the coming decades. (via oddly_even)