While I believe 3D printing will change the world in the future what it can already do today is help us better understand how that will happen, for example through architectural studies and explorations. The Africa. Big Change Big Chance exhibit, taking place at Milan’s Triennale Design Museum from October 15th through December 28th is applying this concept to the African continent, described as one of the places in the world where the biggest changes in terms of demographic growth and urbanization are taking place.
The large exhibit explores tens of architectural concepts from the many African cities that, by 2030, will collectively host a population of 748 million people, more than Europe’s entire population. To do that IUAV, the Venice University of Architecture, collaborated with the leading italian 3D printer manufacturer Sharebot to 3D print the models being presented.
The exhibit, which tells of the “change” taking place, presents architectural solutions such as “tropical modernism” as the “chance” to lead the African continent into a new idea of sustainable moderninity, crossing specific regions and borders to face all issues in a more broad and inclusive way. Sections of the exhibit focus specifically on the more significant cases of megalopolis such as Lagos, Maputo, Nairobi and Cairo, while also reproducing the infrastructures and structures used to exploit natural resources, increase energy production and stop desertification.
Such an exhibit, which includes close to 100 perfectly reproduced architectural models, would never have been possible without a coordinated effort of co-creativity through 3D printing. Sharebot supplied its NG systems to the IUAV to build most of the models, with a significant contribution from a number of Fab Labs and digital manufacturing laboratories throughout Italy (Make in Milano, FabLab Milano, FabLab Ivrea, Spazio Yatta, Fab Lab Settimo Torinese, TalentLab Civitas Vitae in Padua, Fab Lab Verona, Fab Lab Bergamo and Fab Lab Biella). Italian 3D Printshop franchise 3DItaly also participated along with the MADesign studio.
Upon visiting, I was particularly impressed by the overall quality. While I have come to expect that any graphic and infographic material on display at the Triennale Museum is made to conform to the highest standards, I have to admit I was surprised to find that the 3D printed structures did not at all appear any less professional. Furthermore they added a new dimension to the exhibit, making it tangible and much more engaging even for someone without an architectural background such as myself.
After I cruised through the many models I moved on to another exhibit that just opened at the Triennale Museum. It was called Mate in Italy, playing with the terms “Matematica” (mathematics) and “Made in Italy”. The show explored the contributions made by Italians to the complex and fascinating world of mathematics, something I understand even less about than I do architecture: once again, though, 3D printing came to my rescue as many of the most complex geometrical figures on display were beautifully laser sintered. Of course.
