The project was carried out in the city of Delft. It is a city of more than 100,000 inhabitants in the Netherlands. The special cladding was designed by designers Studio RAP. Thanks to new technology, they were able to create a cladding from a 3D printer that looks like porcelain.
The aesthetics are similar to the famous Delft Blue porcelain. The new cladding decorates the pedestrian crossing at the PoortMeesters residential building. The crossing is four metres wide, eight metres high and 12 metres long.
The cladding in the new version is called New Delft Blue. A total of 3,000 unique ceramic tiles from a 3D printer were used to cover the two gates. The resulting decoration is like an art installation. The unevenness invites you to touch the tiles and discover their texture. Importantly, by using 3D printing technology, the designers have full control over the final shape of the design. On a computer screen, they can plan every inch of the walkway. And in the event that one element is destroyed, they can add a specific section.
The glossy effect was achieved by applying a liquid glaze. This produces a light blue colour on the convex parts of the tiles and a dark colour in the recesses. In this way, smooth transitions between shades of blue were achieved.
This is not the first Studio RAP realisation we have covered. Previously, we showed the original façade of a townhouse, which was made from elements printed in a 3D printer. An article about the townhouse can be found HERE.
design: Studio RAP(www.studiorap.nl)
photos: Riccardo De Vecchi
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