david chiesa references milanese skyline to create 3D-printed chess set

david chiesa references milanese skyline to create 3D-printed chess set
all images courtesy of david chiesa

observing how milan has evolved in the past five years, from a very low skyline to one that now has skyscrapers that silhouette in the central part of the city, designer david chiesa has created a 3D-printed chess set that instead of using the normal figurines, uses the new and historical buildings that make up the city of milan. the idea that these modern structures can live side by side, not only in the physical reality but also in a miniature world motivated the designer to create this set.

david chiesa shows an admiration for both the old and new landmarks of milan

the exploration of these new landmarks combined with an admiration to the old ones led david chiesa to produce six different chess pieces that encompass skyscrapers, towers, palaces and monuments. while being in use during a chess game, their constant movement offers and illusion of an urban skyline that is not fixed, but continually evolving and changing in a horizontal surface.

from left to right: unicredit tower, diamon tower, velasca tower, castello sforzesco, duomo, arco della pace

the sets are available in either the 6-piece micro version or the full 32-piece and can be found online here. chiesa has plans to expand the reach of his milanese skyline saying that, ‘I’m planning to distribute the chess board here in milan for the six months of EXPO2015 in shops, museums, and at EXPO gates and so on. this project is the first one of a family of three different projects that will also focus on buildings in other parts of italy as well as around the world.’

the game references the milanese skyline, one that is constantly changing

the sets are available in either the 6-piece micro version or the full 32-piece version

chiesa has plans to expand the reach of his 3D-printed milanese skyline chess set

you can buy the product or download the 3D models and print it yourself

to download the models go here

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: juliana neira | designboom