ALT: A circular 3D urban furniture project
When urban design meets innovation
The design studio RCE Designers has launched a bold new initiative in Place Bellevue, Biarritz: ALT, a series of modular urban seating structures. Conceived as social micro-architectures, these installations invite passersby to pause, interact, and reflect on our relationship with public space.
ALT, named after Adaxis, Lynxter, and Trashboard, embodies a desire to transform the way urban furniture is used, through a responsible, local, and collaborative approach. This project stands out thanks to the involvement of pioneering companies like Lynxter, a leader in industrial 3D printing.
Additive Manufacturing serving design
Founded in Bayonne, Lynxter has quickly established itself as a key player in additive manufacturing, thanks to its modular machines capable of printing a wide range of materials, including elastomers. In the ALT project, Lynxter’s technical expertise focuses on printing the junctions, connecting elements between the buoy and the seat.
These components were printed using the new high-performance filament IDEX machine, the S300X – FIL11 | FIL11, using PETG-001 filament. Through 3D printing, Lynxter enables local, rapid, and customized production, perfectly aligned with the project’s ethos.
ALT: buoys, symbols, and ecosystems
The ALT seats are inspired by a familiar coastal object: the 300-meter buoy, which marks the boundary between swimming and navigation zones. Repurposed as urban furniture, this form becomes a symbol of environmental awareness, a beacon in public space, calling for a shift in how we produce, consume, and coexist.
Each yellow seat consists of three elements:
– A recycled buoy
– A top plate made from recycled materials by Trashboard
– A 3D-printed junction by Lynxter, reinforcing the structure
Together, they form a welcoming, circular shape placed directly on the ground, inviting people to sit, pause, chat, and gaze out at the horizon.
A seat 100% 3D printed from recycled plastic
Among the ALT collection, one unique piece stands out: a fully 3D-printed monobloc seat, created by the studio Poolp in collaboration with Adaxis. Using recycled plastic waste as raw material, Poolp transforms discarded materials into large-scale objects thanks to its large-format 3D printing process.
The collaboration with Adaxis optimized the manufacturing workflow. Adaxis, which specializes in turning industrial robots into 3D printers via its AdaOne software, brought its expertise to manage the robotic systems used for printing the seat.
An Innovative, Local, and Circular Collaboration
ALT is also the story of synergy between committed, innovative local businesses:
– Lynxter for industrial 3D printing
– Trashboard for recycled material surfaces
– Adaxis for robotic 3D printing software development
Based in Bayonne’s Technocité, this trio represents a new way of creating: circular, agile, and open. 3D printing plays a central role by enabling low-carbon, personalized, and repeatable production.
From April 28 to 30, 2025, these structures will be installed in Place Bellevue during the “Waves of Change” event, bringing together changemakers, artists, researchers, institutions, and partners.
This open-air exhibition aims to test the power of design and technology to build social connections and raise awareness about climate change.
Creating Differently
With ALT, Lynxter shows that 3D printing is more than an industrial tool, it is a driver of territorial transformation. By working with local designers and makers, the company puts its technology at the service of a collective, sustainable, and aesthetic vision of the city.
ALT is more than a seat: it’s a beacon, a signal, a call for alternative ways of doing things. And Lynxter is at the heart of this shift.
About RCE
RCE is a multidisciplinary design agency that explores alternative ways of creating to restore meaning in society.
Through a collaborative and ecosystemic design approach, the agency develops solutions ranging from individual objects to territorial-scale strategies.
Guided by a human-centered philosophy, RCE is committed to working alongside territories and institutions striving for a more balanced world. Discover the article from RCE about the project here</_
