An astounding 3D printed room!

Architects Michael Hansmeyer and Benjamin Dillenburger designed and created the world’s first 3D printed structure. They call their design “Digital Grotesque.” The room – 16 square meters and 3.2 meters high – has a staggering 260 million surfaces.

Many 3D printed pieces are made of plastic, but the entire room – including its most eye-catching details – is made of sand. Hansmeyer and Dillenburger used a binding material to create large chunks of the room (up to 4 meters tall by 1 meter wide by 2 meters deep).

The architects began with an overarching model, but used algorithms that let computers randomly design the room, printed in Zurich, Switzerland. Overall, the room took a year to design, one month to print, and one day to assemble.

- Amber Harmon