When Robotic 3D Printing Enters a 14th-Century Church

In the historic church in Lišany near Rakovník, we created the light installation *Glimmers*, which combines contemporary design, robotic 3D printing, recycled materials, and traditional Czech craftsmanship. For us, this project is more than just the creation of a light installation. It demonstrates how new technologies can sensitively integrate into a historic space and add a new, contemporary layer to it.

Glimmers in a Historic Space

When we began working on the Glimmers project for the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Lišany near Rakovník, we faced a rather unusual challenge.

The original church was built as early as 1360, and most of its interior furnishings date from around 1730. How could we introduce contemporary design and technology into such a space without making them seem out of place?

Finding this balance became one of the main themes of the entire project.

Together with designer Jan Kulhánek, we therefore designed the Glimmers light installation specifically for this particular church space. We didn’t want to create a decoration that would merely imitate the historic interior. Instead, we were curious to see what would happen when a contemporary, minimalist object was introduced into it.

It wasn’t just about a new light fixture

Glimmers uses light as both an architectural and symbolic element.

It consists of vertical light tubes that resemble rays of light penetrating the church’s interior. Their geometry creates a dynamic composition that changes depending on the angle from which we view the object.

Thus, a new visual element emerges in the historic interior—one that interacts with its surroundings without attempting to mimic them.

History and the present are not rivals here. They can engage in dialogue.

Waste Plastic Gets a New Lease on Life

The question of materials was also an important part of the project for us.

A significant portion of the light installation was created using robotic large-format 3D printing from waste PLA. Approximately 100 kilograms of waste plastic thus gained a new function and form.

It is precisely this kind of material use that is one of the principles we have long been committed to at Plastenco. It’s not just about using recycled material. We’re interested in how to turn it into a high-quality product or object with a long lifespan and real added value.

For us, Glimmers represents yet another example of how a circular approach can work in architecture and cultural projects.

When a Robot Meets a Craftsman

Robotic 3D printing was just one part of the entire process.

We also collaborated on the project with the Czech company Bohemia Design from Vlašim, which created the metal parts of the structure and secured its anchoring to the historic roof truss.

The resulting structure was thus created through a combination of several different approaches—robotic manufacturing, hand finishing, precision engineering, and traditional craftsmanship.

It was precisely this integration that we enjoyed most about the project. Technology does not have to replace craftsmanship. They can complement each other.

Technology must respect the site

When installing the structure in a historic church, we naturally didn’t just focus on how the structure would look.

We also had to design the supporting structure, the suspension method, service access, anchoring, structural integrity, and the safety of the entire system.

From the very beginning, therefore, we worked with the requirement that Glimmers be serviceable, safe over the long term, and at the same time as gentle as possible on the church’s historic structure.

For us, that, too, is part of good design. It’s not just about how an object looks, but also how it functions, how it’s maintained, and what relationship it has with the place for which it’s created.

When Contemporary Design Becomes Part of History

For us, the Glimmers project illustrates one important point.

Historic spaces do not have to remain frozen in the past. Contemporary design and new manufacturing technologies can enter them sensitively and add another layer to their story.

In this case, historic sacred architecture, contemporary design, waste material, robotic 3D printing, and Czech craftsmanship came together.

And it is precisely these kinds of connections that interest us at Plastenco.

It’s not just about creating a new object.

It’s about exploring new possibilities—what can emerge when we combine materials, technology, design, and a specific location.

Glimmers Aims for a Record

The project has one more ambitious goal.

The installation is aiming for a Guinness World Records entry as:

“The world’s largest robotically 3D-printed suspended light installation made from recycled PLA in a sacred building.”

The evaluation process for this new record category has already begun.

Regardless of the outcome, for us, Glimmers is above all proof that circular materials and advanced manufacturing technologies can be integrated into even highly specific cultural and architectural projects.

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Collaborators on the project

Author / Design: Jan Kulhánek
Implementation: Plastenco design s.r.o.
Experimental 3D Printing: Ondřej Cigáník, Daniel Sviták
Structure and Anchoring: Bohemia Design s.r.o.
Academic Research Partners: Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University in Prague (ČVUT); Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (UMPRUM)
Financial Support: Irena and Jaroslav Mikoláš