All3DP featured the 15 most incredible 3D printed structures around the world. The list includes two structures from SUTD AirLab led by Assistant Professor Carlos Banon ̶ the SUTD Time Capsule and AirMesh.

(https://all3dp.com/2/3d-printed-structures-most-important-projects/)

3D printing has been consistently making headlines over the past few years, usually for reasons unrelated to Benchys and filaments. While 3D printed houses are slowly becoming a reality for us commoners, the artistic and architectural industries have been regularly leveraging the many advantages of this technology.

In this article, we’ve selected 15 of the most incredible 3D printed structures that’ll certainly get you inspired. Keep in mind that these projects are explicitly not 3D printed houses or bridges, which we’ve covered in other articles. Indeed, the pavilions and structures we’ll look at are an exercise of public exploration and imagination.

To mark its tenth anniversary, The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) commissioned a special structure to celebrate its most significant innovations and milestones. The Time Capsule was presented in 2019 and represents the cyclical motion of time and nature. As of now, the structure is sealed with other artifacts and messages to be opened again in 2039.

According to SUTD, the surface of the Time Capsule is covered by 3,582 unique panels that were 3D printed with biopolymers. It was designed by AirLab architects Carlos Banon and Felix Raspall and secured them a Singapore Good Design award in 2020.

When: 2019
Where: Singapore
Who: Architectural Intelligence Research Lab

Yet another project by AirLab in Singapore, the AirMesh combines traditional metallic framing with 3D printed joints to create an ultra-lightweight structure for outdoor use. The design process was aided by digital optimization tools to come up with the most mechanically efficient structure.

The 54 uniquely designed nodes were 3D printed in a steel and bronze alloy, which were later joined to the 216 bars by simple screws. In fact, the final assembly took a crew of five people only a couple of days. The AirMesh pavilion weighs around 700 kg and can support more than 16 times its own weight.

When: 2019
Where: Singapore
Who: Architectural Intelligence Research Lab