About Making Things Possible - CITYFRAMES Interview

Today's story is about the courage to make things happen while directly supporting the community and also about daring projects. CITYFRAMES is a young & eager team, focused on reshaping our world in new ways, and creating fascinating designs to escape the everyday. 

This is a start-up business, with development offices and a production facility located in the historic Heyne Fabrik area, near Frankfurt. What about the differences, compared to the competition? By being unique, and a free working environment that stimulates creativity and communication, as they focus on redesigning the world in 3D.

Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Towers 3D miniature model, photo source: facebook.com/cityframes

We asked CITYFRAMES to give us a short interview about their plans, and you can find it below. 

1.    First of all, we would like to find out about the origins of CITYFRAMES?

CITYFRAMES came out impulsive, from Alex’s (our founder and CEO) personal experience. He returned from a New York visit, looking for a 3D model of this impressive city. Since he couldn't find one online, he decided to do it himself. Then, Alex received positive and encouraging feedback after completing CityWall, which convinced him to set up a StartUp with the intention of putting smiles on everybody’s faces by surrounding them with favorite cities. 

2.    The way I see it, you produce 3D models to connect your customers with their favorite places. What about production time for such a model?

This is our mission, indeed. The production time depends on the size and the city. Production time for the smallest model, the "CityCube", takes only a few days. Yet, an entire "CityWall" up to 2.50 meters long keeps the production team busy for several weeks. 

3.    Who plans the entire project? Or how do you find out exactly what a city looks like?

We normally use a combination of high-quality satellite data sets, plus community feedback. This helps us to recreate not only the city, but also its unique vibe. Sometimes we even work with architecture offices for building designs that are still under development.

Taipei City 3D miniature model, photo source: facebook.com/cityframes

4.     How many members contribute to the current business model?

Each team member is involved in the production process. In the planning stage, we select the city based on client requests. The 006Eext phase involves the data processing from the 3D-Data experts and data post-processing, followed by setting up the appropriate sections. In the end, the production team takes over, for producing the 3D model. Finally, it is safely packed for its journey to the end consumer. 

5.    What materials do you use for the 3D models?

We focus on sustainability and conscious use of our resources. We use a biodegradable, honed, plaster-like material based on corn starch. Then the model is mounted in a solid wood frame from a local supplier in Germany.

Chicago according to CITYFRAMES, photo source: facebook.com/cityframes

6.    What interesting projects are you developing now?

Our team includes creative minds, in the constant development of fresh ideas. We are currently planning a furniture collection, to be able to integrate it with our 3D models. 

7.    From your perspective, what is the most successful model in your portfolio?

New York is very popular, but Rome, Barcelona, and Paris are also appreciated.

8.    What about your plans?

We have many new requests. Although we have recently started to offer custom city experiences, adding new cities to our worldwide collection is still essential. Of course, we are also working on new solutions to incorporate CityCube and CityFrame into our customers living and working spaces. One of the next steps will be the launch of our first furniture collection later this year. We want to connect our customers with the cities they love and we will do this consistently. We are channeling all our passion to achieve this goal. 

The CITYFRAMES Germany projects are full of creativity, hard work, and substance. You can get in touch with them via their website or social media (Facebook).