The world’s first 3D-printed hotel will open in Marfa, Texas

The 3D printing construction industry is still in its early stages of development. However, it already has the potential to become the fastest, most affordable, and most sustainable approach to housing. In 2019, an Austin-based 3D construction firm, ICON, presented a tiny house that cost $10,000 and took just 48 hours to build. Four years later, the company announced its plans to create the world’s first 3D-printed hotel.

The new project will replace the El Cosmico hotel in Marfa, Texas. The hotel owner, Liz Lambert, will join efforts with the 3D-construction startup ICON, and Bjarke Ingels Group, an international architecture firm, to create a unique wellness retreat. They plan to rebuild and extend the existing 21-acre hotel. The new compound will span 60 acres and include a hotel with amenities and permanent housing. 

“The truly unique and divergent architectures made possible by 3D printing are really just beginning,” said Jason Ballard, co-founder and CEO of ICON. “One of the great joys of ICON is putting our technology into the hands of great creatives and seeing what possibilities emerge. The collaboration with Liz and Bjarke is a total dream, and it’s a tremendous honor for us to join them at the forefront of design and architecture.”

The new version of El Cosmico hotel will include doomed suites, a round infinity pool, open-air bathhouses, an outdoor kitchen, and communal space. In addition, those looking to extend their stay will also have a chance to buy one of the vacation homes with views of the Davis Mountains. The BIG-designed permanent homes will have two, three, or four bedrooms and range from 1,200 square feet to 2,200 square feet. 

The 3D-printed buildings at the El Cosmico compound will have dome-like shapes and curved ceilings with a skylight. ICON will use its Vulcan machines to print each building, which would be 350 percent stronger than traditional homes and hotels. The 3D-printing startup promises that this innovative approach will speed up the construction process and help produce less waste. The project will break ground in 2024. 

“Our collaboration with El Cosmico and ICON has allowed us to pursue the formal and material possibilities of cutting-edge 3D printed construction untethered by the traditional limitations of a conventional site or client,” said BIG’s founder Bjarke Ingels. “Organic shapes, Euclidian circular geometries and a color palette born from the local terroir makes El Cosmico feel as if literally erected from the site it stands on.”

Resources:

“Liz Lambert Teams Up with ICON and BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group to Reimagine and 3D Print New El Cosmico in Marfa, Texas,” by ICON Team (ICON, 2023)

“Bjarke Ingels Has Designed the World’s First 3D-Printed Hotel,” by Elizabeth Fazzare (Architectural Digest , 2023)

“BIG and ICON design 3D-printed campground hotel in Marfa,” by Ben Dreith (dezeen, 2023)

“The World's First 3D-Printed Hotel Is Coming to Marfa, Texas,” by Ross Dwyer (Hypebeast, 2023)