PORTAL – A new era of furniture powered by Advanced Manufacturing

PORTAL is an immersive installation that explores the convergence of AI-generated design, circular materials, and advanced robotic manufacturing. Adopting Caracol’s technology to produce unique designs, PORTAL brings to life a new generation of striking furniture pieces that embody innovation, efficiency, and environmental consciousness.

At Milan Design Week 2025, Decibel, together with Caracol and Vizcom, presented PORTAL, an installation curated by Charles Birshaw that showcased a series of sculptural chairs designed by creatives from around the world. Using an AI-assisted tool, participants transformed their ideas and sketches into tangible projects, brought to life through Heron AM, Caracol’s robotic additive manufacturing platform, which employed recycled and bio-based materials. The initiative highlighted how advanced digital technologies can empower designers to work more efficiently and expressively, while promoting sustainability and scalable production.

Advanced manufacturing at the service of creativity

All the chairs of the PORTAL collection are bold, sculptural pieces that blur the line between art and function. Each chair features fluid, futuristic forms inspired by AI-generated designs, ranging from geometric and architectural to organic and expressive.

By leveraging the flexibility and geometric freedom of large-format robotic 3D printing, the production process allowed each piece to visually express the unique vision of its designer, emphasizing innovation, comfort, and sustainability. Technologies like Heron AM make it possible to achieve a high level of customization — across shapes, colors, and materials, ranging from biodegradable to UV-resistant options — unlocking new possibilities for creative and sustainable manufacturing.

Technical details

The PORTAL collection featured works by several internationally renowned designers, some of whom were debuting their creations at Milan Design Week for the very first time. Visitors also had the opportunity to witness the manufacturing process live, with a Heron AM platform in operation throughout the exhibition. Most of the pieces were produced using the same system, equipped with a High Flow (HF) extruder featuring a 5 mm nozzle. A variety of slicing strategies were employed—including 90° layer orientation, multi-planar printing, and more — demonstrating the versatility of the technology.

MONARK Chair by Karim Rashid

• Materials: rPET-G + 30% GF
• Print time: 7 hours
• Dimensions: 827 x 902 x 738 mm
• Weight: 23 kg

CONTOUR Collection by Charles Birshaw Studio

• Materials: rPET-G + 30% GF
• Print time: 4 hours
• Dimensions: 567 x 693 x 756 mm
• Weight: 18 kg

CRYSTAL Chair by Deniz Aktay

• Materials: rPET-G + 30% GF
• Print time: 6.5 hours
• Dimensions: 600 x 718 x 840 mm
• Weight: 20 kg

SPROUT Chair by NokNok

• Materials: rPET-G + 30% GF
• Print time: 6 hours
• Dimensions: 685 x 751 x 791
• Weight: 23 kg

LOU Rocker by Brett Akop

• Materials: PLA
• Print time: 10 hours
• Dimensions: 800 x 866 x 708 mm
• Weight: 10 kg

BOUNCE Chair by Phillipe Bietenholz

• Materials: rPET-G + 30% GF
• Print time: 7 hours
• Dimensions: 450 x 938 x 876 mm
• Weight: 25 kg

KAVE Chair by Andrew Schainker

• Materials: PLA
• Print time: 8 hours
• Dimensions: 637 x 878 x 780 mm
• Weight: 12 kg

CLOUD Chair by Willo

• Materials: rPET-G clear | rPET-G + 30% GF
• Print time: 5 hours
• Dimensions: 770 x 700 x 770 mm
• Weight (rPETG-GF): 19 kg

COCOON Chair by Willo

• Materials: TPU
• Print time: 20 hours
• Dimensions: 975 x 705 x 545 mm
• Weight: 25 kg
• Post-processing: Folding

Towards a new frontier of sustainable manufacturing

By leveraging autonomous manufacturing and eliminating manual operations, the PORTAL collection showcases how advanced technologies, such as Caracol’s Heron AM, can enable fully digital, efficient, and scalable production: with the ability to create a custom-designed chair in just a few hours, this approach opens the door to localized micro-factories capable of producing on-demand, close to point of use, sustainable furniture for any project or need. This project becomes an effective solution for large real estate and construction projects, enabling both higher efficiency, speed, and customization or items manufactured.

The integration of AI, robotics, and eco-friendly materials is not merely innovative, it represents a transformative model for the future of design. PORTAL is a compelling example of how robotic additive manufacturing can go beyond the traditional industrial approach and unleash the creativity of designers, promoting scalable and sustainable innovation across the industry.

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