May 8, 2017 | By Julia
Architects Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer, the incredible duo who previously brought us the Arabesque Wall, have 3D printed a massive, highly intricate grotto from seven tons of sandstone. Commissioned by the Centre Pompidou in Paris, “Digital Grotesque II” stands as the stunning centrepiece of the new “Imprimer le monde” [Print the World] exhibition, where it premiered last month.
Gazing at the large-scale installation is awe-inspiring to say the least. Comprised of 1.3 million digital surfaces and seven tons of sandstone, the grotto took two years to develop, one month to 3D print, and two days to assemble. Equally impressive is the fact that the entire architecture was generated through custom-made algorithms – from a whopping 156 gigabytes of data – and realized without any manual tinkering. With the finished structure standing 3.5 metres tall, the one-of-a-kind piece displays hundreds of square metres of surface into porous, organic forms that stretch the imagination.
In fact, expanding our current understanding of visual impression and comprehension was precisely what the creators had in mind with this project. “Digital Grotesque II is a testament to and celebration of a new kind of architecture that leaves behind traditional paradigms of rationalization and standardization and instead emphasizes the viewer’s perception, evoking marvel, curiosity and bewilderment,” explain Dillenburger and Hansmeyer.
A feast for the senses, Digital Grotesque II appears equal parts organic and synthetic. Above all, the 3D printed grotto is a prime example of how computational technologies can push the limits of human perception, and create astounding architectural experiences through unique spatial expression.
Its creators have referred to the mind-bending installation as a “fictive narrative space,” stating that the Digital Grotesque project is less concerned with functionality than with the expressive formal potentials of digital technologies. Consequently, the grotto constructs an ornate and overwhelming space bursting with detail.
“A single volume spawns millions of branches, growing and folding into a complex topological structure… [demonstrating] how computational design and additive manufacturing can make new architectural worlds tangible,” Dillenburger and Hansmeyer say on the project website.
Emerging as a fantastical landscape that somehow manages to occupy both man-man and natural realms, Digital Grotesque II is a must-see for art fans and 3D printing enthusiasts alike, and will be a permanent fixture in the Centre Pompidou’s year-round collection. Its predecessor, the original Digital Grotesque, was commissioned by the FRAC Centre in Orléans, where it remains in the permanent collection.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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17 tons and what do you get? Seems like they could have lightened this think internally.
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