What would Gaudí have done with the latest 3D printing technology?

YKK AP Inc. will be presenting an exhibit at Tokyo Midtown from October 15 to November 3, 2021, as part of an industry-academia co-creation project aimed at advancing the research and development of windows made using the latest 3D printing technology. The exhibit will showcase prototypes of novel 3D-printed windows which have been designed with various forms and functions that resonate with the natural environment, taking inspiration from the windows of world-renowned architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926).

Since the advent of modern industrialization, windows have been standardized, mass-produced, and continually refined to provide higher performance and functionality. While these developments enabled the creation of airy openings freed from structural constraints, the universalization of glass curtain-wall skyscrapers, and the drastic improvement of residential and office environments, the free and complex forms of the handcrafted windows fashioned by premodern artisans have become ever rarer.

With the collaboration of Casa Batlló, the exhibit offers a view into the future of windows that have continued to evolve at the thresholds between nature and human life. By th other hand, this project will foster collaborations between multiple companies, creators, and specialists working in different fields and regions around the world. The creative director of this exhibition, Keita Suzuki, says:

“For me, Gaudí’s windows are all about sound, wind, and light. I remember seeing his buildings for the first time in Barcelona and being very surprised and delighted by just how much those free forms fit in with the natural environment and the everyday lives of the people there. So, the first thing I thought about when I was approached with this project was how to make windows that are not merely interestingly shaped but which can also contribute to enriching our lives. I felt that we could only truly open up the possibilities for windows if they are in touch with everyday life”

More information
Title: Window on the Future―Gaudí Meets 3D Printing
Dates: Friday, October 15 – Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Venue: Galleria B1 Atrium, Tokyo Midtown (Roppongi, Tokyo)
Admission: Free
Website: https://www.ykkap.co.jp/consumer/satellite/sp/window-future/en/
Instagram: @windowonthefuture