Jan 4, 2016 | By Alec

If you love 3D printed architecture, it will have been impossible for you to miss Ittyblox. The brainchild of Dutch designer Stef de Vos, Ittyblox sells a wide range of fantastic miniature (1:1000 scale) 3D printed buildings online and has created some absolute gems. While already having realized a wide range of models from the world’s foremost cities, Ittyblox has now taken to Kickstarter with a fantastic range of 3D printed buildings from Paris, perhaps the most beautiful city in the world.

And for those of you who have never heard of Ittyblox, it is a brand of collectible 3D printed miniature buildings perfect for all lovers of architecture. While only starting in 2014, Stef de Vos has already designed an extensive collection featuring countless different buildings, parks, highways, canals, streets and all manner of urban assets – each more impressive than the last. Importantly, all buildings are at the same scale and can be placed on uniform baseplates to form city blocks, making it very easy to build entire cities yourself. With that quality, it is hardly surprising that Ittyblox is increasingly making a name for itself in the miniature world, and has already found previous Kickstarter success with the Flatiron Building, the Amsterdam set. Most of his designs are sold through the Ittyblox shop at Shapeways, however.

Some earlier work by Ittyblox.

As the Dutch designer explains, the time had now come to take on the biggest challenge of all: Paris. "The reason I chose Paris as the next city to add to the Ittyblox collection months ago is because of its beauty, peace and romance. Even though it's been in the news for other reasons lately, let's hope these adjectives soon be the first ones that come to mind when thinking of this great city again,” he says. “ I tried to capture the typical Parisian style using some non-existing buildings placed in a diagonal street baseplate. A diagonal street is a first for Ittyblox, but more buildings will be made for this new type of baseplate. I also added two famous Paris buildings, but we'll get to those soon enough.”

And as you can see for yourself, he succeeded admirably in capturing that typical Parisian feel. Featuring tall buildings with shops below and apartments above, they mirror a typical street in Paris perfectly. To complete the city, Stef also designed a few characteristic buildings, such as one of the embassies typically seen around the Arc de Triomphe, the typical Parisian subway entries and much more. And of course, everything is 3D printed – which can be difficult at that scale. “Much time is spent to get the balance right between detailing and staying within the possibilities of current 3D printing technology. The delicate production process makes it hard to design little details without breaking them during handling. However, a gothic chapel isn't a gothic chapel without the many little edges, corners, curves and lines. Also, notice the detailed lining on the windows,” Stef explains.

However, due to the costs involved in prototyping and designing such delicate and detailed structures, Stef has again turned to Kickstarter to fund development. “I am seeking funds to add Parisian architecture to the Ittyblox shop,” he says. But of course, all buildings will be available at reduced prices through Kickstarter, so take a look here for more information.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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