The 3D-printed chair is no longer just an experiment in the maker scene; it is increasingly becoming a serious solution for architecture, design, and public spaces. At Biocraftlab, we work precisely at this intersection: sustainable materials, digital manufacturing, and organic design.

As part of the art and architecture project PAVILIOLA from transparadiso at the Otto-Wagner-Areal in Vienna, we were given a special task: the technical development of the design of transparadiso and production of a modular, flower-shaped seating landscape, manufactured using large-format 3D printing.

In this article, we provide an insight into the creation of this extraordinary 3D printed chair, the technical challenges, and the solutions that we implemented as a team together with Transparadiso and Ginger3D.

Biocraftlab: Sustainable 3D printing production from Austria

Biocraftlab is a Graz-based company specializing in sustainable plastic products and innovative manufacturing technologies. Our focus is on:

• Large-format pellet 3D printing
• Precise filament 3D printing
• Recycling and bio-based materials
• individual product development

For PAVILIOLA we were able to combine all these competencies in a single object: a modular 3D printed chair ("Blütensitz") that is not only functional, but also artistic and symbolic.

The PAVILIOLA project at the Otto Wagner site

PAVILIOLA is a spatial intervention by the artist and architect collective transparadiso (Barbara Holub and Paul Rajakovics), created on behalf of KÖR Wien / Public Art Vienna.

The project addresses the question of how places of care can be reimagined in public space, especially in a historically charged location like the Otto Wagner site, a former psychiatric clinic.

At the center is an open platform with a group of objects consisting of arches and seating shells, enabling encounters, lingering and social interaction.

The 3D printed chair as a flower-shaped seating landscape

Our task was to manufacture the seating modules around the platform. The result was not a classic single chair, but a system of five organically shaped seating elements.

The seat shells are deliberately designed like flower petals:

• The petals are formed by 5 seats.
• The central round element corresponds to the bud or the pollen.
• Together they form a kind of "flower" that refers to the historic garden pavilion.

In this way, the 3D printed chair becomes not just a piece of furniture, but part of a social sculpture.

Material: Biodegradable PLA with individual coloring

Sustainability was a key concern of the project. Therefore, the modules were made from biodegradable PLA.

PLA is a bio-based plastic made from renewable raw materials and is particularly well suited for 3D printing.

In addition, we were able to individually color the seats, an advantage of digital manufacturing that would be difficult to implement with traditional methods.

Production: Pellet 3D printing meets filament 3D printing

This project united two worlds:

Pellet 3D printing with Ginger3D

The large seating modules were manufactured using a pellet 3D printer from Ginger3D.

Advantages:

• fast printing of large components
• cost-efficient for large volumes
• ideal for outdoor objects

Filament printing for precision and detail

For certain elements, we also used classic filament printing, especially for:

• End caps
• Overflow closures
• precision connecting parts

This resulted in a hybrid 3D printed chair that combines the strengths of both technologies.

Seat design: Modular and connected

Each seat was printed in two large parts. The ends were initially left open.

This was followed by a crucial manufacturing step:

• End caps were manufactured using filament printing.
• These were used
• The parts were then joined together to create a stable, weatherproof unit.

The result is a robust seating structure for public spaces.

Challenges in manufacturing a 3D printed chair

As exciting as large-format 3D printing is, it also presents real challenges. This project in particular had several technical hurdles.

1. Overhangs in pellet pressure

Overhangs in pellet 3D printing pose major challenges.

Pellet printing is great for volume, but difficult with complex geometries.

Organic shapes such as petals create strong overhangs of over 60 degrees, which are hardly printable without support.

Our solution:

➡️ Combination with filament printing to subsequently close critical areas.

2. Warping in large printed parts

Another problem was warping, the distortion of large printed surfaces during cooling.

As a result, the two halves of the seat could not close completely perfectly, which can be seen upon closer inspection.

This reveals an important reality:

Large-format 3D printed chairs always involve material movement, temperature management, and iterative optimization.

3. Outdoor requirements

The seats must:

• be weather-resistant
• remain mechanically stable
• be permanently usable

Therefore, material selection, wall thickness and welding were crucial.

Why the 3D printed chair is a model for the future

This project demonstrates the potential of 3D printed chairs:

• free forms without classical tools
• sustainable materials such as PLA
• local production instead of global supply chains
• individual design for architecture and art
• new ways of furnishing cities

Especially in public spaces, digital manufacturing opens up new possibilities for inclusive, flexible and resource-saving design.

Conclusion: PAVILIOLA as an example of sustainable 3D printed furniture in urban spaces

With PAVILIOLA, a place was created on the Otto Wagner site where care, encounter and remembrance can be experienced spatially.

For us at Biocraftlab it was a special project because it shows:

The 3D printed chair can be more than just furniture, it can become part of architecture, art, and social space.

We are proud to have accompanied this pilot project at the intersection of sustainable materials, digital manufacturing and public use.