While it is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Istanbul is also one of cities with the youngest average population and is rapidly emerging as a global center for design and creativity. This is reflected in the new ICONIC 3D store that just opened in Akmerkez, one of the biggest shopping malls in the city on the Bosphorus.
Founded by Alper Guner, the store integrates everything a modern 3D print shop should offer, along with a huge, 3-meter wide, photogrammetric 3D scanning booth with over 100 DSLR cameras that can capture 3D models in less than one second. This means that customers can be “physically photographed” in any pose they like, even the most difficult to hold, and that pets and children can be 3D scanned as well.
Once the 3D scan is complete, ICONIC is able to deliver the full color 3D printed figurine in about one week, which is consistent with most similarly structured stores the are popping up all over the world. Prices are not exactly cheap, with a 35-mm 3D printed model running as high as 1,550 Turkish lira (about €500); however the style of the store is certainly one of the most elegant and stylish we’ve seen so far.
To complement its 3D photography studio activities, ICONIC also offers a range of 3D printing products and services, including desktop 3D printers such as bq’s Witbox and CraftUnique’s CraftBot. The store’s idea is to soon export its business model in other locations throughout Turkey and abroad. It sure looks like it would be a fully “Tur(n)key” solution.
