BIG and ICON will redesign El Cosmico in Texas, giving the campsite hotel a new meaning using 3D-printing technology in architecture and design.
3D printing has gone through many developments over the years since the technology was first created back in the late ’80s. From making simple objects out of on-screen renders to the idea of manufacturing cars – 3D printing has opened up opportunities in research and product development so that that industries that are fuelled by tech can continue to break boundaries.
Among those sectors to utilise new technology to create extraordinary experiences is hotel design. The most recent – and perhaps most dramatic – examples of how 3D printing could shape a new era in hospitality comes from Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the architecture firm that designed the birds-nest suite for Treehotel, which has teamed up with ICON to create a new luxury camping site in the Texas desert. El Cosmico, which currently consists of a site where guests sleep in either trailers, tents of teepees, is about to get a 3D makeover, which will include almost tripling the size of its current site.
Image credit: BIG
The project, which is said to be a ‘dream hospitality venture’ for hotelier Liz Lambert, will break ground in 2024. It will comprise of around 100 3D-printed structures scattered across the campground. The concept was inspired by the dialogue between the high desert geography and cosmic entities. The structures are expected to reflect domes, architects, vaults and parabolic forms – forming together design, hospitality, culture and nature.
Image credit: BIG
In addition to the two-, three- and four accommodation styles will frame views of the Davis Mountains, the new site will also feature a pool, spa and other public areas to socially connect guests.
Main image credit: BIG
