HOT OFF THE PRINTER

As the first 3D-printed hotel takes shape, we look at what the technology could mean for travel

- HANNAH RALPH

WHILE 3D PRINTING isn't a new phenomenon, the futuristic technology has hitherto only concerned those working behind the scenes. With a 3D-printed hotel on the horizon, as well as printed airline cabin components and culinary treats, it's increasingly likely that you'll notice it on your next trip. With the technology now capable of turning ideas into physical objects within a matter of hours or weeks—rather than months—3D printing is a hot, convenient and cost-cutting commodity in product prototyping and manufacturing. Here, we look at how it's transforming the travel sphere.

HOTELS

Hotelier Liz Lambert has teamed up with 3D printing giant Icon to engineer a futuristic future for her Texas desert retreat, El Cosmico. Designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group, the revamped retreat will mark the world's first 3D-printed hotel when it opens next year, with 59 acres of layered, cylindrical cocoons squeezed like toothpaste from a giant printer. "There's something so wild about watching the quiet, steady work of the robotic arm laying down our curvilinear walls," Lambert explains. "They appear as if they were an extension of the earth itself."