This 65-Acre Hotel Campground Gets A 3D-Printed Makeover In The Desert
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and 3D-construction pioneer ICON have teamed up to develop a campground in the desert for hotelier Liz Lambert. Dubbed the El Cosmico, the project will be situated in the famed region of Marfa, Texas.
According to ICON, the current campground sits at an estimated 21 acres, and will soon be relocated and expanded to more than double at over 60 acres. The hotel will showcase “entirely new architecture approaches” featuring 3D printing.
Both firms joined forces to reimagine El Cosmico as a hotel and housing front inspired by the unique connection between the dry, desert landscape and cosmic overview in the sky.
The new buildings will feature domes, arches, vaults, and parabolic forms, which the designers believe hold a “primordial architectural language” that can only be created by 3D printing rather than traditional construction.
In addition, the expansion will see the hotel grounds fitted with new amenities, such as a pool, spa, and shared communal facilities for guests. More space will be set aside for art and skills-building workshops within the compound.
ICON will work on its specialty of soft shapes and rounded surfaces as an ode to the hotel’s position at the intersection of art, nature, and hospitality. And if the project goes swimmingly, it could expand into 3D-printed affordable housing.
In terms of the homes’ layout, BIG has dreamed up two, three, and four-bedroom apartments—ranging from 1,200 sq ft to 2,200 sq ft—that offer picturesque views of the Davis Mountains.
“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 Founder Bjarke Ingels.
“Organic shapes, Euclidian circular geometries, and a color palette born from the local terroir make El Cosmico feel as if literally erected from the site it stands on,” he added.
