Monumental sculpture — 2.2m, keyed multi-part assembly

A museum-adjacent artist commission requiring structural credibility, invisible seams, and transport-safe segmentation.

Large sculpture (2m+)
Multi-part assembly
Art

Finished height

2.2 m

Engineered segments

Primary process

FDM + assembly + paint

Problem

The piece exceeded single-bed FDM limits and could not ship as one monolith. The surface had to read as continuous stone, with tolerances tight enough for public proximity and long-term stability.

Constraints

Eight-week production window, indoor climate variation, installation in a space with limited crane access, and a hard weight budget for the suspended core.

Solution

We engineered a split strategy along natural form breaks, printed shell segments in engineering-grade material, and designed a hidden armature with alignment pins and bonded seams. Test-fit cycles were documented before final finishing.

Production process

Digital alignment checks → printed keys and sacrificial tabs → dry assembly → seam filling and micro-sanding → primer system matched to topcoat → QC photography and transport crate with labeled sequence.

Final result

A 2.2m primary form delivered in twelve engineered segments, installed over two days with invisible primary seams at viewing distance. The client retained our assembly playbook for future touring.