Several 3D-printed structures now make up an artificial reef in Italy.
A post by Enrico Dini of D-SHAPE detailed the project and recent installation.
Dini, if you don’t know, is the CEO of D-SHAPE. It’s an Italian company that’s one of the oldest 3D-print companies on the planet, being founded well over 20 years ago. We first ran into Dini back in 2013, where we described the company’s sand/binder 3D printing process.
Back then, D-SHAPE was printing large outdoor structures, including reef elements. They’re still doing so today as part of the project located off the west coast of Monte Argentario in central Italy. It’s part of the Monte Argentario Underwater Park.
Five reef elements were deposited in the park, each having different designs. Dini explains:
“Inspired by artworks from Rossella Siani, James Gardiner, David Lennon, Bathsheba Grossman, Alex Goad, and myself, these structures are not simply underwater sculptures. They have been designed as living habitats where marine life can settle, grow, and thrive.”
Underwater structures tend to attract an ecosystem, and that’s why, for example, ships are sunk to create “living parks”. The same principle holds here, except that instead of ships, they’re depositing 3D-printed structures with abstract shapes, ideal for fish habitats.
Dini concludes:
“It is the beginning of a living underwater park, where art, engineering, and science come together with one purpose: giving something back to the sea.”
