It’s not quite a consensus, yet, but the term “4D printing” is generally accepted as describing a 3D printed object that continues to evolve with time — after the print process itself is finalized. That could mean that it changes shape, that it moves or perhaps even that it interacts with other objects through embedded electronic sensors. Another way to 4D print could to 3D print something as it evolved through time. That is what Fab Lab Venezia, in partnership with 3D printer manufacturer WASP, did with “Across Chinese Cities – Beijing”, a gigantic architectural model for Venice’s latest Biennale of Art exhibit
Apart from the 4D curiosity, the actual project turned out to be impressive and a first for 3D creativity in general, with the entire architectural model measuring over 35 linear meters. Observing it one can immediately see the Forbibben City remaining basically unchanged for centuries while the buildings surrounding it evolve from little huts to larger houses and finally to huge skyscrapers.
The model, on a 1:500 scale, shows the north to south axis of Beijing showing the transformation of the city in five historical periods: the founding of the Dashilar city-within-the-city in 1488, building of the Xiang Chang District in 1914, Tian’anmen Square inauguration in 1958, the first shopping center in 1992 and Beijing today, in 2014
The architectural background of the Fab Lab Venezia’s founders came in handy in understanding how to carry out a work of this magnitude, something that no one had really ever done in such a short period of time. “We accepted the job because it was such a fascinating challenge”, Elia De Tomasi, the Fab Lab’s Co-Founder and Corporate Manager/Technical Assistant, told me at Rome’s recent Maker Faire.
“However – he continued – we did not know if we would really have been able to carry it out to the end. Fortunately we did it, with a lot of help from WASP and WASP owners, who helped us by lending us their machines. The 3D printers worked day and night, perfectly and without any interruption, in our lab and we were able to get it done. Now we have a lot more projects on the way, all the way until our official opening to the public later this year.”
Unlike other FabLabs, the one in Venezia originated as a for profit company, an architectural studio that could take advantage of all the tools made available by the personal manufacturing revolution. Their goal is to develop great projects and make enough money with them to support their growth and to have the means to help others get involved in it.
Sponsored by the Shanghai Zendhai Group and organized by the Beijing Design Week and DONTSTOP Architettura, a Milan based architectural studio, the 3D printed Beijing project has hundreds of buildings and even more miniature models of people and objects large and small throughout. Only a few years ago it would have been impossible to build due to time constraints and the cost of the machines and materials, today it could be carried out using an array of desktop 3D printers but it looks no less impressive.
