Case Study: Historic Royal Palaces achieves faithful, lightweight restoration of the Great Pagoda’s 18th‑century dragons with 3D Systems' SLS 3D‑printing solution

3D Systems On Demand Manufacturing experts help restore UNESCO World Heritage Site with scan-to-CAD workflow and SLS printing

3D Systems On Demand Manufacturing partnered with Historic Royal Palaces to help restore The Great Pagoda at Kew, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, by replacing a full suite of ornately carved dragons missing for over 200 years. The challenge was to recreate historically accurate ornaments while minimizing weight and installation impact on an aging, grade‑I listed structure and avoiding the time and cost of traditional tooling for many unique parts.

Using a reverse‑engineering scan‑to‑CAD workflow (FARO scan, Geomagic Design X), 3D Systems hollowed and engineered the dragon forms, added concealed mounting features, and production‑printed 72 lightweight, durable dragons in DuraForm PA via SLS. The parts were expertly assembled, hand‑finished and painted, delivering an outcome that preserved the original appearance, relieved structural load concerns, eliminated bespoke tooling delays, enabled easy invisible installation, and met both aesthetic and technical requirements.

Historic Royal Palaces

Craig Hatto

Project Director