A Medieval Castle Was Restored Using 3D Technologies

In Italy, additive manufacturing has already been used several times to decorate spaces. And the number of projects is growing steadily. Take for example the city of Lucca, with its 3D printed plastic benches, or Riso Paradiso, a Sicilian ice cream bar decorated with accessories made with the technology. In a new project,  Porto Venere has used additive manufacturing to restore and update a tower that was constructed back in 1161. The historic building named Capitolare, is meant to welcome tourists from around the world and offer an amazing view of the Ligurian Sea. Thanks to large format 3D printing, the Capitolare Suite Tower integrates various 3D printed pieces of furniture and now displays a clever mix of tradition and innovation.

Now, completely restored, the Capitolare Suite Tower is set to have a variety of uses, depending on the season. In summer, the tower will serve as a luxury hotel, offering private terraces and high-end services, such as boat excursions. In winter, cultural associations will be able to meet there to exchange, debate and hold workshops. Andrea Borlenghi, the 29-year-old entrepreneur behind the renovation, is excited about the project: “We are ready to make the debut of this architectural gem. We want to tell the story of the power of this medieval symbol, saved from decay and revived. Restoring it has been a pleasure. It is in my nature. I find myself very much in Sergio Marchionne’s sentence, ‘I’m a repairman, it’s the only thing I know how to do.'”

Photo Credits: Capitolare

3D Printed Furniture

In order to 3D print the furniture in the Capitolare Suite Tower, the teams in charge of the project used solutions offered by Caracol, a company that specializes in 3D printing. It has developed a system that can produce large components with complex geometries. To blend in with the environmental setting of the building’s location, the furnishings, also 3D printing, were inspired by the sea and is in cyan blue, the same color as the Ligurian Sea.

In order to be environmentally friendly, the teams used recycled plastic to make the furniture. More specifically, the furniture is made of recycled polypropylene reinforced with 30% fibreglass. In the bathrooms, the decorations were designed using natural mortar made from shell fragments. In the years ahead, the teams plan to renew the furniture every 5 years, recycling the previous ones. By doing that, they want to promote the circular economy and demonstrate how new technologies can change our manufacturing methods. You can find out more about the hotel on their website HERE.

Photo Credits: Capitolare

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*Cover Photo Credits: Capitolare