Technological Craft: The Encounter Between Hand-Knitting and 3D Printing

They say that the most fascinating things grow out of collaborations. For the Rope Collection, we chose to partner with Stratasys, a global leader in 3D printing. This choice brought high-tech and low-tech together under one roof, allowing us to explore the tension between innovation and handcraft, and to create a dialogue between technological precision and the freedom of manual labor.

3D printing technology is often referred to as "technological craft" because it produces objects individually. Unlike mass industrial manufacturing, it allows for the creation of unique, one-off pieces without the need for molds, where each printed item can differ from the last. In this regard, iota and Stratasys share a profound common ground: a technology driven by artistic passion, and a deep consideration for the object that informs every single moment of the development and production process.

As part of this collaboration, we developed custom end-caps for the ropes used throughout the collection, lending them an exceptional level of finish. The caps are printed from a unique silicone (P3™ Silicone 25A) using P3 DLP Origin® Two technology, which provides outdoor durability on one hand, and a soft, inviting touch suitable for a rug on the other. Designed through a meticulous 3D file, the cap was perfectly tailored to the rope's edges, featuring an internal texture that creates an exact friction grip, a refined external texture, and the iota logo.

Alongside the end-caps, we developed together a sculptural element of a dove "perching" on the chair’s metal rods—a design detail that could not have been produced in any other material in small quantities with the same structural stability. The dove, printed using PolyJet™ technology, combines structural rigidity with a soft-touch finish. We chose it because the chair’s rods reminded us of urban utility lines, and we imagined the dove pausing for a brief rest, perhaps even with an olive branch in her beak. Thanks to the flexibility of the printing world, this dove is just the first omen of a series of elements that will join the collection in the future.

We hope that this olive branch will indeed be a symbol of what is soon to come.