Blue Voyage
Blue Voyage is a pair of 3D-printed ceramic feature walls by Studio RAP for the entrance lobby of Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, a luxury hotel in Dubai. Positioned on either side of the entrance, the two walls frame the approach into the building and create a calm, expressive moment of arrival.
The design
The design takes its cue from the nearby Gulf. The curved forms recall the movement of waves, while the surface patterns grow more intricate up close, revealing flowing lines and layered ridges that interact with light and shadow through the day. Large, specially designed corner tiles wrap the pattern around the edges, reinforcing the sculptural character and spatial clarity of the installation.
3D-printed ceramics
Each wall measures 6 metres high and 9 metres long. In total, Studio RAP designed and 3D-printed around 900 unique ceramic tiles, each generated parametrically and produced in-house at the studio's facility in Rotterdam. This method gave full control over form, fit, and material quality across the entire installation. Blue Voyage is one of the largest 3D-printed ceramic architectural installations realised to date.
About Studio RAP
Studio RAP is a Rotterdam-based team of architects that combines architecture with in-house manufacturing and craftsmanship, bringing bespoke detail back into architectural design. Blue Voyage is one expression of that approach.
Location: Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Dubai (UAE)
Client: Dubai Holding Real Estate
Designer: Studio RAP
Architect (main building): Killa Design
3D ceramic printing: Studio RAP
Firing & glazing: Royal Tichelaar
Photography: Riccardo De Vecchi
The design
The design takes its cue from the nearby Gulf. The curved forms recall the movement of waves, while the surface patterns grow more intricate up close, revealing flowing lines and layered ridges that interact with light and shadow through the day. Large, specially designed corner tiles wrap the pattern around the edges, reinforcing the sculptural character and spatial clarity of the installation.
3D-printed ceramics
Each wall measures 6 metres high and 9 metres long. In total, Studio RAP designed and 3D-printed around 900 unique ceramic tiles, each generated parametrically and produced in-house at the studio's facility in Rotterdam. This method gave full control over form, fit, and material quality across the entire installation. Blue Voyage is one of the largest 3D-printed ceramic architectural installations realised to date.
About Studio RAP
Studio RAP is a Rotterdam-based team of architects that combines architecture with in-house manufacturing and craftsmanship, bringing bespoke detail back into architectural design. Blue Voyage is one expression of that approach.
Location: Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Dubai (UAE)
Client: Dubai Holding Real Estate
Designer: Studio RAP
Architect (main building): Killa Design
3D ceramic printing: Studio RAP
Firing & glazing: Royal Tichelaar
Photography: Riccardo De Vecchi
