Take a tour of London this summer and visit Kew Gardens, where you can admire The Great Pagoda, an octagonal ten-storey tower designed in 1762 and recently restored with 3D technology. It has just reopened to the public today: the 72 dragons who decorate it have been printed in 3D and have resumed their place after more than 230 years of absence.
The Great Pagoda was designed by Sir William Chambers as a gift for Princess Augusta, the founder of Kew Botanical Gardens. At each corner of the tower, on the ten floors, one could see painted wooden dragons which, twenty years after had been removed to repair the roof of the tower were never replaced. UNESCO World Heritage, the architecture needed substantial restorations. It was the Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) who took charge of this work and soon realised that bringing back these dragons to life was not going to be easy.
A 3D printed dragon
72 dragons was 3D printed
Restoration work is often lengthy, costly, and sometimes creates difficulties in terms of design and accuracy in the reproduction of the original work. The 3D technology can then become a solution to overcome these challenges and some are increasingly used to carry out these cultural and historical restorations. HRP turned to 3D Systems’ SLS technology to create lightweight, durable replicas of the original dragons.
” We turned to 3D Systems for a fast pace, precise details and excellent finishes for this project ,” said Craig Hatto, Project Director at HRP. The engineering skills of the 3D Systems team, the ability to lighten dragon statues and the material durability of 3D SLS printing were key points for this project. “
The project’s actors explain that they first scanned the wooden dragon in 3D using the FARO ScanArm Scanner. Then, thanks to the CAD, they were able to add some details to the dragons and lighten their weight by 60%. This significant weight reduction should reduce the efforts placed on this historic tower. The CAD data would have also scaled the dragons and produced them in a variety of sizes – from 1150 mm to 1850 mm in length.
The dragons were then printed on 3D Systems’ SLS machines with DuraForm PA, a nylon polyamide material, ideal for providing this appearance comparable to the original statues. The 3D printed parts were then painted by hand. Phil Schultz, Vice President and General Manager of 3D Systems concludes: ” We see so much 3D printing technology applied to new innovations that when we have the opportunity to literally write the story, it’s exciting. As part of this collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces, we have been able to bring a new technology to a historic monument, giving it back its former beauty and securing its future for future generations . “
Find more information on the 3D printed dragon project on the official website of 3D Systems and in the video below:
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