3D-printed sundial takes on a different flower-like shape in every city

3D-printed Sundial by Arup and prescription

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Your experience of the sun’s path can change dramatically depending where in the world you are, which is why design studio prescription teamed up with Arup to create a sundial that can take on a different form depending on where it’s located. Made of 3D-printed white plastic, the site-specific sundial has a distinctive fan-like shape that creates a moving shadow with an illusion of a blooming flower.

3D-printed Sundial by Arup and prescription

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Rendering of the sundial in Venice.

3D-printed Sundial by Arup and prescription

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While beautiful, the shape of the sundial’s curved fins is strictly pragmatic.

3D-printed Sundial by Arup and prescription

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The designers feed solar path cycle data into an algorithm that creates optimized geometry corresponding to each hour of daylight.

3D-printed Sundial by Arup and prescription

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The final form resembles flower petals that trace the direction of the sun’s rays.

3D-printed Sundial by Arup and prescription

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The sundial can be used 365 days of the year and has cutouts to show the time of day in digit form.

3D-printed Sundial by Arup and prescription

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The designers have set up the first 3D-printed sundial prototype in Amsterdam.

3D-printed Sundial by Arup and prescription

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While beautiful, the shape of the sundial’s curved fins is strictly pragmatic. The designers feed solar path cycle data into an algorithm that creates optimized geometry corresponding to each hour of daylight. The final form resembles flower petals that trace the direction of the sun’s rays.

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3D-printed sundial takes on a different flower-like shape in every city

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