El Cosmico and ICON 3D print hotel in Texas

Liz Lambert and 3D printing specialist ICON announced that construction has begun on the first 3D printed hotel and residence in Marfa, TX.

The project includes not only new hotel accommodations and private residences, but also public amenities such as a restaurant, pool and bathhouse. The architectural design is being undertaken by the renowned Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and uses the special possibilities of large-format 3D printing to realise innovative shapes such as domes, arches and vaults.

“I am so happy about breaking ground at the new El Cosmico site. It’s the realization of a longtime dream of mine. It’s also very meaningful to me in that we will be able to do more of what we’ve done in the community of Marfa over the past 12 years – create economic opportunity, add high quality jobs, and contribute to the cultural fabric of Marfa. I’ve been coming to Marfa since I was a kid spending summers at my family’s ranch, and I’m proud and honored to be a part of this community. Marfa is a magical place,” said Liz Lambert, Creator of El Cosmico.

The use of ICON’s 3D printing technology makes it possible to create organic and flowing shapes that would be difficult to realise conventionally.

“Our design for the new El Cosmico is a conversation between El Cosmico’s past and future. By testing the geometric boundaries of ICON’s 3D-printed construction, we have imagined fluid, curvilinear structures that enjoy the freedom of form in the empty desert. By using the sand, soils, and colors of the terroir as our print medium, the circular forms seem to emerge from the very land on which they stand. We are honored to join Liz Lambert in reimagining desert luxury as something distilled to its purest form: raw, honest, and in harmony with the surrounding environment.” said Bjarke Ingels, founder and creative director, BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group.

“Part of the reason we’ve worked so hard at ICON to create these technologies is to give high-vision people like Liz and Bjarke the ability to materialize their dreams in the real world,” said Jason Ballard, co-founder and CEO, ICON. “West Texas is one of the most meaningful places on Earth to me and my family. To contribute in such a positive way to Marfa hits on a deeply personal level. The breadth of the project, from hospitality and elevated housing to affordable housing, is astounding. This will be the most ambitious architecture that we have yet undertaken.”

In addition to the hotel accommodation, private residences known as ‘Sunday Homes’ are also being built in Marfa. These residences offer sweeping views of the Davis Mountains and are between 2,000 and 2,500 square feet in size. Prices start at 2.29 million US dollars, with the first homes due to be completed this year.

The project in Marfa also includes the construction of affordable housing to meet the region’s changing housing needs. These units will also be 3D printed, based on designs from ICON’s global architecture competition ‘Initiative 99’.