Created by the Mediated Matter Group and the MIT Media Lab and presented at the recent Milan Design Week, 2017, GLASS II is the group's most recent work in the area of 3D printing optically transparent glass that allows tunability by geometrical and optical variation which drives form, transparency, color variation, reflection and refraction. The new work takes the process one step further, creating a high fidelity, large-scale, additive manufacturing technology for 3D printing optically transparent glass structures at architectural scale.
Optically transparent and structurally sound, glass has played a significant role in the evolution of product and architectural design across scales and disciplines, and throughout the ages . Glass processing methods—such as blowing, pressing, and forming—have aimed at achieving increased glass performance and functionality. Nonetheless, techniques and technologies enabling controlled tunability of its optical and mechanical properties at high spatial manufacturing resolution have remained an end without a means.
One thought on “GLASS II – 3D printing glass structures at architectural scale”