BIG, together with the 3D-construction firm ICON, is planning a desert campground flanked by some stable houses in Marfa, Texas: El Cosmico – name probably inspired by the work that BIG is developing together with NASA for the construction of Moon-based structures.
El Cosmico is a 3D-printed hotel designed by BIG in Marfa, Texas
Inspired by the desert landscape, the project developed with Icon is among the first to use large-scale 3D printing.
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- Lucia Brandoli
- 14 March 2023
The project – commissioned by hotelier Liz Lambert – will cover more than 60 acres and will include accommodation and amenities for the hotel, including a swimming pool, and some residences. Built thanks to ICON’s 3D-printing construction technology, El Cosmico will consist of a series of curved hut-like structures made with 3D-printed concrete mix that takes the pigment of desert sand.
Just like the Moon or Mars, even El Cosmico – built in a very remote place – will benefit from the technology developed by ICON to automate the construction. “We are a little bit at the dawn of 3D printing at the scale of buildings, there's still a great opportunity to explore what architecture languages can sprout from this new possibility,” Bjarke Ingels said.
The construction works for El Cosmico will start in 2024.
Image courtesy by BIG.
Image courtesy by BIG.
Image courtesy by BIG.
Image courtesy by BIG.
Image courtesy by BIG.