3D Printed Furniture in IDS Center’s Crystal Court
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The process delivered on the impact on the design and also the technology itself.
It was really exciting that we could be at the forefront of cutting-edge technology and one of the first furniture 3D-printed applications.
Jeremiah Collatz, Perkins&Will Project Architect
Located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, the IDS Center is regarded as one of the crown jewels of the Twin Cities. Nestled within this 57-story office tower is Crystal Court — a massive, 23,000-square-foot urban park adorned with olive trees, natural light and an atrium. So when ownership wanted to make subtle renovations to be even more accommodating to the public, they turned to Dimensional Innovations to create innovative, thoughtfully designed furniture to complement the space.
Working alongside Perkins&Will and LA-based industrial designer Jonathan Olivares, DI helped design, create and install over 20 modular, curvilinear benches and seats. Inspired by the natural form of river rocks and incorporating smooth, rounded edges, the 3D-printed furniture was brought to life using a Large Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM) machine.
Normally machined for a smooth and polished finish, the printed layers of the furniture were preserved, showcasing the intricate seams and design work necessary to bring the pieces to life. Keeping with the idea of nature, our team also used environmentally-friendly biopolymers for the 3D-printed furniture made from a variety of plants in the creation process, drastically reducing any impact on the environment.
Introduced to the public in July ‘21, the newest addition to Crystal Court has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response. As the Minneapolis community begins to reconvene, we’re proud to have played our part in making those experiences more remarkable and unique.
23,000 Sq. Ft.
Size of the IDS Center's Crystal Court
50,000
Daily Visitors to Crystal Court
Testimonials
"Working with Dimensional Innovations was perhaps the only fabricator we could have partnered with on this project. The technology and learnings, the possibilities in the 3D print process, and the final forms of these benches would be — it was really a collaborative dialogue."
Jeremiah Collatz, Perkins&Will
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