SHoP Architects will create a huge 3D printed gateway for this year's Design Miami festival
US architecture studio SHoP have announced they will create one of the world’s largest 3D public structures for the Design Miami festival in November.
The arching piece, called Flotsam & Jetsom, will create a 1,780sq ft space at the gateway to Miami’s exhibition halls. It is being created by the architects as a response to their triumph in the 2016 Design Miami Visionary Award.
In a statement, they said: “This work exists at the intersection of Miami's celebrated spirit of play, represented by a relocated landscape that mimics the beach, but also the city's emergent function as a center for creative visioning and technological discovery.”
Printing and construction firm Branch Technology and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory are collaborating on the project, which will print the structure using a biodegradable bamboo medium. An on-site bar will be the largest 3D object ever individually printed.
After the festival, Flotsam & Jetsam will be moved to the Miami Design District's Jungle Plaza, where it will house an outdoor cultural program in partnership with Miami's Institute of Contemporary Art.
SHoP Architects Design Miami architecture design urban spaces 3D printing