Swarovski Designers of the Future award winners use crystal to develop innovative designs, using techniques like 3D printing.

Back in April, Swarovski and Design Miami announced the three winners of the Swarovski Designers of the Future awards for 2017. These winners were chosen because of their “innovative approach to design and pioneering use of new technologies.”

The winners, which include the TAKT Project, Jimenez Lai, and also Marjan van Aubel, have all won the chance to use crystal material to develop their own interesting designs. Their final commissions are now on display at Design Miami/Basel which will run from June 13th – 18th, 2017.

These commissions include solar cell technology, a beautiful Terrazzo Palazzo, and 3D printed crystal vases. Together, the designs form a single installation.

The designers used a range of innovative technologies while working with the crystal, including 3D printing. The use of this material is supported by the Austrian crystal producer Swarovski, which became the sponsor of the awards in 2015.

3D Printing with Swarovski Crystal

The Japanese studio TAKT Project is the one winner using 3D printing for their crystal commission. Started by Satoshi Yoshiizumi in 2011, the studio 3D printed crystal vases and candleholders for the collection. 

To accomplish this, TAKT Project worked with Micron3DP, an Israeli company that is the first to print in high-resolution with glass. The “Printed Crystal” series includes candleholders and also vases. Using 3D printing, the studio was able to achieve extremely unique ribbed textures. They explain that these formations would not be possible using traditional glass moulding methods.

The final look is inspired by frost crystals and has walls as thin as 1.5-millimetres. The studio explains: “By printing crystal we can in effect print light, a new way of thinking that will be part of shaping societies in the future.”

Other winning designers included Dutch designer Marjan van Aubel and also Jimenez Lai, the founder of Bureau Spectacular.

Aubel’s innovative work involves integrating a solar panel into a crystal. By doing this, she could enhance the ability to capture energy from the sun. The portable solar panel collects sun throughout the day, which can be harness by the user at night. 

Lai’s entry is the Terrazzo Palazzo tile. To develop this beautiful tile, he used rejected and recycled Swarovski crystal. Working with Brent Dzekciorius from Dzek, the Terrazzo Palazzo showcases complex geometric structures.

You can check out the Swarovski Designers of the Future in the video below.

Source: Dezeen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM4kn_PHxmI