Pioneering 3D Printed Hotel Coming Up at Texas
06 November 2025: El Cosmico, an existing hotel and campground in Marfa, Texas, USA is expanding in a unique way. By 2026, it plans to become the world’s first 3D-printed hotel, thanks to a collaboration between hotelier Liz Lambert from Icon, a Texas-based 3D printing company and the design company Bjarke Ingels Group.
According to a press release by Icon, the expansion in Marfa covers over 60 acres and will feature 43 new hotel units and 18 residential homes. The structures are being built using Icon’s Vulcan printer, a massive 46.5-foot-wide machine, these unique spaces are being created with a special cement-based material called Lavacrete, tailored for strength and adaptability to different weather conditions. El Cosmico will expand from its original 21-acre site to a sprawling 60-acre property.
Icon is using its multi-story 3D printer-the same technology behind hundreds of homes in Georgetown’s 3D-printed neighborhood. All hotel units and private residences will be organic, curvilinear forms – domes, arches, and vaults. Using the sand, soils, and colors of the actual building site as their print medium, will ensure a sustainable process and make the circular forms blend seamlessly into the land they stand on.
The first structures already under construction include a three-bedroom home and a one-room hotel unit. Both feature striking beige-coloured, curvilinear walls that rise 12 feet high. These forms reflect the project’s vision of blending art, nature and innovative technology. Beyond the hotel, the expansion will include new hospitality features like a pool, bathhouse and restaurant. The residences, called ‘Sunday Homes’ will offer views of the Davis Mountains, with prices starting at $2.29 million.
As construction moves forward, the Marfa landscape will be home to not just another hotel, but a unique experiment in design and technology. For now, visitors can look forward to experiencing a “cosmic connection” to the Texas desert in what it soon to be the world’s first 3D-printed hotel. Prices for stays at El Cosmico will range from $200 to $450 per night.
www.elcosmico.com
