Wallpaper 10

GLASS I

2015

Matter

Glass

Media

3D-printed glass

SYNOPSIS

Ancient yet modern, enclosing yet

invisible, glass was first created

in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt

4,500 years ago. Precise recipes for

its production often remain closely

guarded secrets, but glass can be

m o u l d e d , f o r m e d , b l o w n , fl o a t e d o r

sintered. And today, thanks to our

work at the MIT Media Lab, it can

a l s o b e 3 D - p r i n t e d , i n w h a t w e c a l l

the additive manufacturing of

optically transparent glass.

DESCRIPTION

Glass I, or G3DP, is an additive

manufacturing platform designed to

print optically transparent glass.

This process enables considerable

variation of shape and resulting

optical properties, as well as the

use of a large range of colours with

varying degrees of opacity. The

platform is based on a dual heated

chamber concept. The upper chamber

acts as a kiln cartridge while the

lower chamber serves to anneal the

structures. The kiln cartridge

operates at approximately 1,900°F

and can contain sufficient material

to build a single architectural

c o m p o n e n t. T h e m o l t e n m a t e r i a l i s

funnelled through an alumina.

The print annealer avoids thermal

shock in the printed components.

The project synthesises modern

technologies with age-old glass

tools and technologies to produce

novel glass structures with

numerous potential applications.

CREDITS

Research and design by the Mediated

Matter group at the MIT Media Lab, in

collaboration with the Mechanical

Engineering Department, the MIT

Glass Lab and the Wyss Institute.

Mediated Matter researchers

include John Klein, Michael Stern,

Markus Kayser, Chikara Inamura,

Giorgia Franchin, Shreya Dave,

James Weaver, Peter Houk and group

director Neri Oxman.

Top and above, the 3D-printing

process allows considerable

variation in shape and resulting

optical properties, making

it possible to control the glass’s

light transmission, reflection

and refraction

Right, illuminated 3D-printed

glass structures on display

at the MIT Media Lab

Photography: © Andy Ryan

320 ∑

Neri Oxman