Milan, my own home city has changed a lot in recent years. It is certainly far from perfect and lacks some of the things that would make it into a great European metropolis (more subway lines, a decent airport for starters) or that would grant a higher quality of life for inhabitants / visitors (more bicycle lanes or a city center off limits to cars). However, the style of Milan is unique and it shows every year, when it becomes one of the global centers of design, with the Salone del Mobile and the events of Milan Design Week/ Fuorisalone.
This year, during Design Week, 3D printing was ever-present. Now it’s up to Milan itself to become the subject of 3D printing creativity, through the realization of a spectacular miniature model of the city, built by a company called Sinthesi Engineering, based in the small town of Parabiago, in the province of Milan.
The model measures approximately 5 meters by 3 meters and was built in ABSint, using 3D Systems’ SLA, which Sinthesi has been operating for many years as a 3D printing service for rapid prototyping on an industrial scale. The project was developed in record time.
The scale model images clearly show two of the most important landmarks of the city: the traditional Duomo and the new skyscrapers in the new City Life borough, a gigantic residential area designed by the world famous Urban Architecture studio led by Zaha Hadid.
Yet another example of cutting-edge design and, above all, new possibilities for 3D printing in the town which, even today, is the first in the world for the number of personal printers registered on the 3D Hubs network.
