Sustainable 3D Printing: NIO House Amsterdam utilizes 3D-printed wall panels made from recycled materials.
Innovative Architecture: MVRDV and Aectual designed the space using state-of-the-art 3D printing technology.
Future of Recycling: The materials used can be recycled again for 3D printing.
Sustainable Architecture through 3D Printing at NIO House Amsterdam
At NIO House Amsterdam, the flagship European showroom of the electric car manufacturer NIO, it’s not only the vehicles that stand out. Located in a historic building on Leidsestraat in central Amsterdam, this beautifully designed space spans 2,700 square meters over several stories, integrating a car showroom, a café, presentation spaces, a children's area, co-working spaces, a design gallery, offices, event spaces, and a rooftop pavilion. The design and layout of this expansive multi-use space was created by the global architecture firm MVRDV, headquartered in the Netherlands.
A particular highlight for us at the Neue Zürcher Zeitung is the use of 3D printing technologies to bring the architectural design to life. On the ground floor of the showroom, you will find 3D-printed wall panels designed and produced by Aectual, an Amsterdam-based company specializing in 3D-printed architectural elements made from sustainable materials.
The Aectual Wrap panels were custom-designed for the space and are made from recycled polymer and aluminum derived from recycled beverage cartons (e.g., Tetrapak). This choice of material aligns with NIO's vision to make its showroom as sustainable as possible. When the wall paneling is eventually taken down, it can be shredded and used as raw material for Aectual’s 3D printing once again, enhancing circularity. According to Aectual, this “radical recycling” can reduce material use by 600% over a period of 50 years.
The 3D-printed walls, made using large-scale robotic 3D printers, feature a custom-fluted texture that subtly changes throughout the space. For example, the wall panels near the showroom bar have a fine vertical pattern, while the bar itself has a wider pattern. The panels were also customized to fit the space perfectly, whether the walls were straight, cornered, or curved, and included elements to fit around alcoves and screens. Aectual even 3D-printed cladding for the elevator shaft and doors.
For this particular project, the architecture firm chose Aectual’s natural “sand” color, but the company offers a range of 13 standard colors to choose from. Notably, this is not the first time that MVRDV has enlisted Aectual’s 3D printing expertise to create a unique space. Last year, the companies collaborated on the design of Tiffany & Co.’s store in Singapore’s Changi Airport, where Aectual 3D-printed a marine-inspired façade made from recycled ocean plastic.
