To think of Dubai, is to think of grandeur. Dubai constantly seeks to be a world of firsts. The glittering citadel is a shrine to the best form of megalomania, and scarcely a few years pass before another impressive infrastructure project is on (or rather, dominating) the horizon. In 2010, there was the Burj Khalifa, the tallest man-made structure in the world. In 2012, the construction of the world’s largest theme park began. This year, Dubai will set another architectural record – with a modern twist.
3D printing has exploded in recent years, and it has a wide range of applications. From printing children’s toys, to creating car parts, and even the possibility to generate human organs and body parts. In Dubai, there are plans to build the world’s first building made entirely of 3D printed parts and technology. The building will form part of the Museum of the Future, a technology museum dedicated to showcasing the latest in upcoming innovation.
The 3D printer itself will be a show of engineering ingenuity.
In order to produce the new building, and all of its furniture and internal components, the printer itself must be extremely large. The UAE National Innovation Committee stated that the printer is to be over 6 metres tall, and it will produce robust materials that are glass-fibre reinforced.
The offices will have 2000 square feet of space, and are set to be completed this month. This building technique is essentially a modern upgrade of an old classic. Prefabricated construction takes components of a building that have already been created, and they are all then put together onsite. In creating the new wing of the Museum of the Future, this style has been pulled into the 21st century. All of the parts of the offices will be built by the same 3D printer, made from modern materials. The project is a collaboration with the Chinese company Winsun. With 50-70% shaved off the project time, we could soon see 3D printing enjoying widespread usage in construction.
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