It is telling that this year’s Venice Biennale of Architecture features a plethora of 3D printed works, from Anti-Ruin, a 3D printed gate made from a marble dust material, to Picoplanktonics, a living 3D printed installation at the Canadian Pavilion. The technology is clearly at the cutting-edge of architecture and is an effective tool for architects and designers to reimagine and play with new designs and materials. We recently learned of yet another 3D printed project, which is on display in Venice’s Giardini della Marinaressa: Duality, a sculpture 3D printed from colored concrete.
(Photo: Lloyd Lee)
While most 3D printed concrete structures we see today are uniform grey, Duality shows a new and more colorful avenue for concrete finishes. The experimental sculpture was developed by assistant professor Cristina Nan from TU Eindhoven and architect Mattia Zucco, with support from Dutch 3D printing company Vertico and is part of the larger Time. Space. Existence. Exhibition. The coloration of the concrete material was achieved using pigments from German chemical company Lanxess.
Manufacturing on Demand
The sculpture itself is a reinterpretation of a classical column that presents us with an outer layer that opens up to reveal an interior core. The outer skin of the column is pigmented black using a black iron oxide, while the internal core is a rich copper color, achieved using a red iron oxide pigment. The design also drew inspiration from classical Greek columns through the printing of separate drum-like sections, which are stacked to create the final form.
(Photo: Lloyd Lee)
Duality’s modular construction consists of nine drums and four wings, each weighing under 30 kg to facilitate transportation and assembly. The column can also be disassembled and rebuilt, extending its lifespan and making multiple exhibitions possible. “Rather than pursuing the conventional logic of printing entire elements in one go, the project embraces a modular strategy, inspired by ancient Greek and Roman assemblies,” the project states. “Duality is more than a technical prototype—it is a manifesto for a future where computational design, color, materiality and imagination intersect.”
Zooming out slightly, the project fits into the framework of an ongoing investigation by Lanxess into the impact of pigments on 3D printed concrete. The chemical company is working closely with partners like the Institute of Construction Materials at the Technical University of Dresden to evaluate how pigments like Bayferrox and Colortherm impact material properties. So far, results have shown that there is no influence and can be used safely to bring more color into the world of construction 3D printing.
You might also like:
UPenn engineers reimagine concrete 3D printing with algae: At the core of the innovation is diatomaceous earth (DE), a porous, sponge-like material made from fossilized diatoms. “I was intrigued by how this natural material could absorb CO₂,” says Shu Yang, co-senior author and materials science professor. Blended into the concrete mix, DE improves flow through a 3D printer and provides surface area for carbon capture—up to 142% more CO₂ than conventional mixes.
* This article is reprinted from 3D Printing Media Network. If you are involved in infringement, please contact us to delete it.
Author: Tess Boissonneault
Leave A Comment