‘The Wave’, at Destination Skatepark in Tauranga, New Zealand, was produced using technology from CyBe Construction
QOROX, a construction 3D printing company with several successful projects to their credit, has recently completed the construction of the world’s largest 3D printed skateable sculpture, titled ‘The Wave’, at Destination Skatepark in Tauranga, New Zealand.
The adoption of 3D concrete printing is expanding worldwide, with applications extending beyond affordable housing to include artificial reefs, street furniture, infrastructure, and art. Destination Skatepark now consists of a variety of 3D printed features, such as quarterpipes, ledges, and supports, all created by QOROX. The park’s highlight is ‘The Wave’, a 12-meter-long, 3-meter-high skateable sculpture that mimics curling water. Comprising seven different elements, this sculpture was printed in under five hours and is recognized as the largest 3D printed skate sculpture globally.
According to Peter Fraser, the council’s design lead for the project, only a few 3D printed skateparks exist internationally, and they are typically on a smaller scale with fewer and less intricate elements. Fraser emphasizes that Destination Skatepark was designed with significant community involvement, further refined by design specialists Rich Landscapes and QOROX. The flexibility afforded by QOROX’s 3D printing capabilities allowed for the creation of unique forms and textures that would have been prohibitively expensive or impossible with traditional construction methods.
The company uses a special, sustainable mortar, called Q-Ink, that blends essential printable materials with local low-carbon components, achieving a 30% reduction in carbon emissions compared to traditional concrete. This innovation is made possible by CyBe Construction, a Netherlands-based provider of 3D concrete printing technology, including the CyBe RC printer and the CyBe Power Pack, which forms part of the printable mix and can be supplemented with local aggregates. QOROX’s use of Q-Ink, incorporating the CyBe Power Pack, allows for nearly 80% of the materials to be locally sourced. The sustainable and affordable Destination Skatepark is one of many projects delivered by QOROX, which introduced 3D concrete printing to New Zealand in 2018.
