Castilla-La Mancha Park 3D-Printed Bridge

This 3D-printed pedestrian bridge straddles a small stream in a Spanish town outside Madrid. It’s made of concrete, not plastic, and its organic architecture and biomimicry are meant to showcase nature and encourage people to save resources and energy.

The bridge was unveiled on December 14, 2016. The nearly 40-foot-long (12 meters) and roughly 6.5-foot-wide (about two meters) structure is located in Castilla-La Mancha park. It allows visitors to easily cross through the central space.

The bridge was designed by Advanced Architecture Institute of Catalonia (IAAC). Though the plaque by the bridge claim it’s the world’s first bridge of its kind, others do in fact predate it.

Using 3D printing lets builders construct concrete bridges with a certain level of freedom, as they’re not beholden to molds or frameworks. This new technology is also more ecologically friendly, as it reduces waste and uses less energy than conventional construction.