Glass print

This novel methodology affords us the opportunity to examine and investigate innovative approaches to using glass in construction, yielding novel forms and accompanying aesthetics.

The experimental model is an addition to the Qaammat Pavilion that was developed to further analyse and demonstrate alternative construction techniques utilising 3D print glass while also highlighting variations in visual appearance, aesthetics, and transparency. The Qaammat pavilion was built with solid casted glass blocks that were handcrafted in a traditional way by the Murano-based glass manufacturer WonderGlass. Each block was cast in a metal mould that imparts a textured surface that creates variability in the reflections of the surroundings. The intention of the experimental glass model was not to replicate the block system employed in the construction of the Qaammat but rather to explore different aesthetics characterised by layers, patterns, and a surface amenable to 3D printing.

The structure of the printed glass has the geometry of a conical geometry that is sliced in half and composed of layers; the half-circular bottom layers have a curved path that tapers to a linear line at the top. The decision to begin the structure with a curved bottom is both an aesthetic choice to test out a pattern and a structural choice to create a broad bottom portion that supports the structure and gives the structure more stability.

The model was displayed as part of the Qaammat pavilion’s process materials during the 2023 Venice Glass Week.

“My belief is that every project is an ongoing endeavour, wherein one continuously gains new ideas during the process. During the development of the Qaammat, I became intrigued by the potential to explore different visual characteristics, artistic qualities, and levels of translucency using 3D-printed glass. This novel technology has its limitations; however, a small 1:20 model was made to try out the technology and showcase a small model of the Qaammat at the Venice Glass Week. The intention of the experimental glass 3D-printed model was not to replicate the block system employed in the construction of the Qaammat but rather to explore different aesthetics characterised by layers, patterns, and a surface amenable to 3D printing.”