MEAN* designs 3D printed pavilion in dubai to reconnect visitors with nature

installed in front of the DIFC (dubai international financial center), deciduous is a 3D printed pavilion that invites locals and visitors alike to explore the possibilities of sustainable technology. as the beginning of winter approaches, the project focuses around its title ‘deciduous’, which refers to trees that shed leaves at the end of the fall season. designed by MEAN* (middle east architecture network), the abstract botanical project aims to reconnect visitors with nature.

all images by NAARO

the pavilion, designed by MEAN*, comprises of three different sustainable materials — birch plywood flooring, robotically 3D printed concrete base, and a series of 3D printed plastic polymers, recycled from 30,000 discarded water bottles. installed without the need of any heavy machinery, each of the parts are modular and prefabricated off-site. ‘in light of dubai’s focus on 3D printing as a sustainable technology, the hybridization of state-of-the-art robotic 3d printing in plastic and concrete is a first attempt to explore the possibilities that the two technologies can offer, contributing to the emirate’s vision of ecological construction growth towards 2025,’ explains the MEAN* team.

standing approximately 11 feet tall, the pavilion creates an S-shaped pathway between the branches for visitors to walk through. while most of the materials are in their raw state, the tip of the branches fade into an orange color. MEAN* hopes to continue its experiments with 3D printing in design on an architectural scale, and contribute to the emirate’s vision of ecological construction growth in 2025.

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project info:

project: deciduous

client: DIFC (dubai international financial center)

event coordination: brag

design: MEAN* (middle east architecture network)

lead architect: riyad joucka

polymer 3D printing: AI build

concrete 3D printing: besix 3D

3D printing contractor: 3D vinci

CNC plywood fabricator: lesly lobo