Fun fact: 3D printing was invented in 1986 when Chuck Hall filed the first patent—considered the inventor of 3D printing. However, it wasn’t until 2010, when 3D printing took off, that we began to imagine a 3D-printed world.
First, it was guns, then prosthetics, and now it’s clothing, sports equipment, and even food. NASA has been printing space food for years.
Yes, it sounds like something straight out of a movie, but this is our reality. The 3D printer is constantly being enhanced and improved, opening up a new realm of possibility. Just look at the world’s first 3D-printed hotel, opening next year.
When it came to finding the perfect location for the world’s first 3D-printed hotel, ICON couldn’t look past Marfa, Texas. The small and often mysterious town is already a hotspot for futurists, with UFO sightings, the famous Marfa lights and modern high desert-style designs plotted throughout the area. Marfa is also known for its art, whether inside a beautifully designed home or a sculpture in the desert. It’s the perfect blank canvas for El Cosmico.
El Cosmico is a 21-acre site soon to be home to large-scale 3D-printed structures, including domes, arches, vaults, and parabolic forms. The new hotel will merge the desert landscape of Marfa with cutting-edge technology and visionary projects of cosmic organizations. Featuring modern and organic curves and domes, the space will be focused on elevating El Cosmico to a more design-centric and sustainable location.
There will be two, three, and four-bedroom homes, each offering standout views of the Davis Mountains and designed by BIG. Expect earthy tones, curves, and lines you wouldn’t usually find in a hotel room. Think of The Jetsons, but in the desert instead of space. There is even going to be a communal pool.
ICON is leading the groundbreaking project. This startup has already secured a contract with NASA to build the first accommodations on Mars and the moon, as well as architecture firm BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and hotelier Liz Lambert.
El Cosmico is now set to open in 2024. Reservations for the new 3D-printed design marvel will open up in July 2023. Sign up on the hotel’s website for updates on when reservations open, and to reserve your spot at El Cosmico.
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