BIG, together with the 3D-construction firm ICON, is planning a desert campground flanked by some stable houses in Marfa, Texas: El Cosmico – name probably inspired by the work that BIG is developing together with NASA for the construction of Moon-based structures.

The project – commissioned by hotelier Liz Lambert – will cover more than 60 acres and will include accommodation and amenities for the hotel, including a swimming pool, and some residences. Built thanks to ICON’s 3D-printing construction technology, El Cosmico will consist of a series of curved hut-like structures made with 3D-printed concrete mix that takes the pigment of desert sand.

Just like the Moon or Mars, even El Cosmico – built in a very remote place – will benefit from the technology developed by ICON to automate the construction. “We are a little bit at the dawn of 3D printing at the scale of buildings, there's still a great opportunity to explore what architecture languages can sprout from this new possibility,” Bjarke Ingels said.

The construction works for El Cosmico will start in 2024.