Art & Sculpture

ACCIONA and the National Archaeological Museum of Spain highlight history with 3D printed arch

The garden of Spain’sNational Archaeological Museum(MAN) in Madrid is now home to a 2.2 m tall archway. A replica of the San Pedro de las Dueñas Arch, already a part of the museum’s collection, this monument was made to help to demonstrate the potential of emerging technologies and their role in historic preservation.

The arch was made in collaboration withACCIONA, the Spanish conglomerate group responsible for infrastructural management and renewable energy. According to Andrés Carretero, MAN Director, this development “puts the museum to the forefront worldwide in the application of new technologies to the disseminating and preservation of cultural heritage.”

3D printing for sustainability in Spain

Interested specifically in the ecofriendly advantages of 3D printing, ACCIONA has been investigating the potential of the technology for several years. In 2016, working with theInstitute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia(IAAC), the group previously helped produce the nation’s first3D printed bridgewhich now stands close to ACCIONA’s headquarters in Alcobendas. Later, in 2018, the company collaborated on theTechnical University of Valencia‘s (UPV)3D printed bungalow.

MAN’s Dueñas Arch was produced using the same technology as ACCIONA’s 3D printed bridge. Invented by Italian mechanical engineerEnrico Dini, the system used was a维形状3D printer that binds sand together with an “inorganic seawaterand magnesium-based binder.”

An example D-Shape 3D printer. Photo via D-shape.
An example D-Shape 3D printer. Photo via D-shape.

Engaging the public in emblematic parts of Spanish history

Dating back to medieval Europe, the Dueñas Arch, literally the “Duke’s arch”, is a lasting example of Romanesque architecture. Formerly part of a monastery bearing the same name in the Castile and León region of Northwestern Spain, this arch is now retained for cultural preservation within the MAN in Madrid.

通过复制拱门,男人和安迅能寻求highlight the importance of protecting the nation’s heritage, and enabling more public interaction with the museum’s collection. It stands in the garden at 2.2 m tall by 3.3 m wide, and it is made to last. According to the official ACCIONA press release for the project, “The durability of the material makes it possible, for the first time, to achieve an architectural reproduction that is suitable for outdoor locations, because of its ability to withstand weather conditions.”

Andres Carretero, director of the National Archaeological Museum, and Juan Ignacio Entrecanales, Executive Vice Chairman of ACCIONA, present the 3D printed replica of the San Pedro de las Dueñas Arch. Photo via ACCIONA
Andres Carretero, director of the National Archaeological Museum, and Juan Ignacio Entrecanales, Executive Vice Chairman of ACCIONA, present the 3D printed replica of the San Pedro de las Dueñas Arch in MAN gardens, Madrid. Photo via ACCIONA

Further enhancing the interactive nature of the museum, several artifacts from the MAN’s collection have also been digitally recreated, and 3D printed, allowing visitors to handle them. These objects include the Crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha (León), dating from the Mid-11th century and originally made from ivory; the Aquiliform fibula Alovera (Guadalajara), an eagle brooch from the 6th century made from bronze and glass; and the brass Astrolabe of Ibrāhim ibn Sa’īd al-Shalī (León), once used by astronomers to measure the altitude of planets.

Elsewhere in the arts, Munich’sDeutsches Museumis using to 3D printing to producea façade for its temporary entrance, and London’sVictoria & Albert(V&A) Museum inducteda 3D printed sculpturebyScan the Worldinto its permanent collection.

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Featuredimage shows Andrés Carretero, director of the National Archaeological Museum, and Juan Ignacio Entrecanales, Executive Vice Chairman of ACCIONA, unveil the 3D printed replica of the San Pedro de las Dueñas Arch. Photo via ACCIONA