This spring-after years in the manufacture-designed Zurich and his partner Nova Fundaziun Origens officially Tor Alva (also known as White Tower), a 30-meter-all-3D-printed tower in Mulegns, Switzerland. The structure, the highest 3D -printed building in the world, is an urgent performance space and a symbol of revitalization in the alpine city. Thanks to another joint effort of the partners behind Tor Alva, visitors to Mulegns can indulge in a sweet treat in a breathtaking new gelateria with a 3D printed decor.
The Ice Cream Shop, called Gelateria, is located right next to Tor Alva and was designed by a team of students in the Master of Advanced Studies in architecture and digital production by ETH Zurich (DFAB). The external structure of the compact building consists of recovered wood and a semi -transparent material that violates those who pass the colorful world inside.
The interior of the gelateral is characterized by a rather minimalist floor plan, which is reflected on the top with a cascading installation of multicolored 3D printed waves. This impressive structure was printed 3D in ETH Zurich's robot factory laboratory with your own hollow-knot printing technology of the institution, a unique extrusion process in which large cave tube beads print. This unique approach has made it possible to produce a structure that extends over 250 square meters and weighs less a metric ton.
The ETH Zurich DFAB team was also interested in keeping the project as sustainable as possible (thus the use of recovered wood for the Gelateria frame) and decided in accordance with its sustainable/circular -focused ethos, the fact that the entire ice cream parlor is designed and put together again, while the PebG 3D -printed decor 3D printing material can be crushed and processed.
It is not yet clear how short -lived the gelateria is, but those who flock to Mulegns to see the amazing Alva this summer will not be disappointed to crossing another 3D -printed architectural Marvel – everything while enjoying a pleasure. Overall, the new structure is part of the Nova Fundaziun Origens mission to revitalize the Alpine City Culturize and economically by using architectural innovations.