3D Printed Observation Tower in Dubai’s Desert

3D construction printing (3DCP) refers to various technologies that use additive manufacturing as a core method to fabricate buildings or construction components. We have already written about several 3D printed bridges and the 3D printed floating house project. The most recent news of 3DCP come from one of the most innovative cities of the world, Dubai. Nyxo Studio’s new project is an observation tower in the desert, fully 3D printed. Called “Supernatural Concre(a)tion” it is not just an ambitious but vague idea anymore, there is a very detailed blueprint ready and the construction plans seem to have been all worked out.

This is not going to be Dubai’s first 3D printed construction. In fact, the city boasts being home to the world’s first 3D printed commercial center and the world’s largest 3D printed building, not to mention several other “average” 3D printed constructions. For the commercial center, it took 17 days to print it and 3 months to adjust interior design; isn’t it incredible to live in a time when constructing a building is around 5 times faster than decorating it? But Dubai does not want to stop there – the government’s vision is to become world’s most innovative city by 2021, so Supernatural Concre(a)tion would a natural part of this plan.

In 3D construction printing, a number of different approaches have been demonstrated to date, which include on-site and off-site fabrication of buildings and construction components. Nyxo Studio revealed that for the Supernatural Concre(a)tion, they will go with the off-site fabrication, which is understandable, since this approach is typically significantly cheaper than the on-site one. The tower is divided into 2.5-meter portions that will be 3D printed in 2 cm shells. The components will be additively manufactured in the factory by a 6-axis industrial robot under controlled conditions.