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Mexico City lighting design studio Davidpompa has collaborated with restaurant Contramar to create an exhibit for the city’s art week that explores the intersection of traditional Mexican weaving and seafood preparation. More
Local art collective Xpan has created a multi-purpose creative studio called Xpan.Ep.1 in Mexico City using raw steel, aluminium, and transparent polycarbonate panels for its interior. More
Architecture studio Javier Senosiain Arquitectos has created a wood-lined office space in Mexico City informed by an “animal’s refuge” and other cave-like spaces. More
More than 20 local designers worked to revamp sections of a sprawling modernist mansion in Mexico City around the theme of future houses during this year’s Design Week Mexico. More
A meditation room and an outdoor work area are available to employees at this office in Mexico, which was remodelled by architecture firm FMA within a 17th-century convent.
The GO Headquarters is located in the historic centre of Morelia, a city in the state of Michoacán, and is arranged around a cloister at the heart of the building.
The GO Headquarters takes advantage of a cloister space that is used as an outdoor work and dining areaThis central courtyard offers employees a space to work or relax outside, while surrounded by five planters with orange trees set against the old stonework.
“The primary challenge of the project was to honor the original architectural elements of the building while maximizing available space,” said FMA founder Francisco Méndez.
A coffee bar wrapped in clay tiles anchors a space for employees to relax”Moreover, careful recognition of the alterations that the convent had undergone over time was needed, distinguishing between those that were appropriate and those that were not,” he added.
All of the interior office space is on the level above, accessed from the main entrance via the courtyard and a stairwell.
Larger rooms feature long conference tables for desk-style workingOn this upper floor, interconnected rooms open onto the colonnaded central space overlooking the verdant enclosed garden below.
“Moving upstairs, the work areas were conceived as living spaces with a disruptive approach,” said Méndez. “While the architectural program remains straightforward, the diversity and multifunctionality of each area are striking.”
A variety of clay elements made by local artisans are incorporated throughout the officesLarger rooms accommodate long oak tables that offer more traditional desk-style workspace and meeting areas.
Meanwhile, a library with lounge furniture and a large shelving system the covers a full wall acts as both a reception and a casual work area.
A library has a full wall of display shelving and casual furnitureAnother room features a horseshoe-shaped coffee bar fronted with clay tiles and a wooden ping-pong table, where team members can gather and socialise.
There’s also a dedicated meditation room, nicknamed “the nest”, which acoustically optimised with oak panelling and a padded floor for comfort.
RootStudio transforms former Oaxaca convent into culinary centre
“This tranquil space is dedicated to introspection, providing a sanctuary for individuals to rejuvenate their minds and break away from routine, thus emphasising the significance of mental and physical well-being, ultimately enhancing the quality of life and productivity of workers,” Méndez said.
Throughout the building, lighting was upgraded to an intelligent system that adjusts according to the circadian cycle and saves energy.
Sand-coloured plaster walls and white oak stave flooring complement the historic buildingMaterials including sand-hued plaster walls, white oak stave flooring, and furniture in warm, earthy tones complements the existing building’s palette.
Clay lamps, planters and decorative objects crafted by artisans from Michoacán are also incorporated.
“An emphasis was placed on natural and regional finishes to sustain a sense of warmth and harmony within the project, as well as to support local artisans and commerce,” said the architect.
Employees have access to a meditation room lined with white oak panelsCompanies and organisations across Mexico are finding a variety of new uses for abandoned or unused convent buildings.
In Oaxaca, RootStudio converted a historic building into a centre for celebrating the rich culinary legacy of the region – earning the project a spot of the Heritage Project shortlist for the 2023 Dezeen Awards.
The photography is by César Belio.
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Mexican design studio Locus has utilised 50 per cent recycled materials for the interiors of a Singaporean restaurant in Mexico City.
Combining the varied flavours of Southeast Asia typical of Singapore’s cuisine, Makan serves customers within an industrial-style space in the Centro district of the Mexican capital.
Makan occupies an industrial-style space in Mexico City’s Centro neighbourhoodDesigners Jachen Schleich and Sana Frini of Locus aimed to prioritise environmental responsibility with the project, and so used recycled materials for half of the total fit-out.
“From the conception stage, the use of sustainable materials was prioritised, particularly the use of national white oak wood in much of the interior design,” said the studio.
The restaurant’s open kitchen is framed by the exposed concrete structure”This choice not only highlights the natural beauty of the surroundings but also ensures proper management of natural resources, promoting environmental conservation and supporting the local industry sustainably,” the team added.
The white oak forms counters, shelving and built-in seating throughout the space, contrasting the exposed concrete floors, columns and ceiling.
Wooden bench seating is built around the perimeter and a circular banquette is tucked into a cornerThe restaurant has street frontage on two sides, allowing the dining area to be flooded with natural light from tall operable windows.
This minimises the need for artificial light and air conditioning during the day, reducing electricity usage.
Private dining rooms are concealed behind sliding paper screensFreestanding tables and chairs supplement the booth seating around the perimeter, which includes a curved unit for large parties tucked into a corner.
Shelves above the banquettes are filled with wine bottles, glassware and other accessories, while open storage units are suspended above the two service counters.
The private rooms feature sunken floors and bench seats, and can be opened up to one anotherAlong one side is a series of private dining spaces behind paper screens, with sunken floors and wooden bench seating.
These rooms, which more closely reflect Asian dining traditions, can be opened up to one another via more screens,
MYT+GLVDK creates industrial-style restaurant in Mexico City
Behind the bar and open kitchen and across the bathroom walls, vertical timber boards are charred to a black finish.
“This technique not only adds a visually appealing element but also ensures durability and resistance, eliminating the need for harmful chemical treatments to the environment and health,” said Locus.
Open shelving is suspended above the bar counter as well as the open kitchen service areaPlanters large and small are peppered throughout the restaurant, adding greenery to the interior.
Overall, the tall ceilings, large windows and open kitchen create a light and airy atmosphere, while the material add an industrial edge.
Charred wood lines the walls in the bathroomsAs Mexico City’s food scene continues to grow, several gastro options with interesting interiors have opened over the past few months.
These range from a boba tea shop by Worc Studio to an industrial-style restaurant by MYT+GLVDK and a tiny taqueria by RA!.
The photography is by Rafael Gamo.
Project credits:
Locus team: Jachen Schleich, Sana FriniDesign team: Santiago Sitten, Ruy Berumen, Eduardo SilvaLighting: Locus x Estudio NuumbraSinks: Locus x Muebles de ConcretoChairs: Locus x Taller NacionalArt: It’s A Living, Sindrome de ClerambaultGraphic design: Foreign Policy Design
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Architecture studio TAAC and interior designer Sara Skalli have created a seaside hotel in Mexico that uses traditional materials including chukum – a finish made from tree resin and limestone.
Named Casa Yuma, the 25-room boutique hotel is located on Playa Los Naranjos, a short drive from Puerto Escondido on the Pacific coast of Mexico.
Casa Yuma sits between a palm grove and the beachSkalli, who co-owns the hotel with friends Camille Lambert and Tim de Belloy, felt it was important for the buildings to utilise materials native to the region.
She and the project architect, TAAC founder Ricardo de la Concha, devised a materials palette that centres around the use of chukum.
The hotel offers 25 guest suitesDescribed as a “vegetal concrete”, this water-resistant, plaster-like material is made by combining the resin of indigenous chukum trees with limestone-based stucco.
The material often has a strong red tone – as seen in other new Mexico buildings like as the Xique Boutique Hotel and Tulix housing – although the colour here is closer to a pale concrete-like grey.
Furniture and textiles were sourced from local artisansSkalli said the use of chukum was intended to create “an ambience that is both organic and sustainable”.
“My main goal was to create an environment where elegance harmoniously blends with the surrounding nature while reflecting the warmth and authenticity of this unique land,” she said.
The entrance is via a thatched palapa hutThe materials palette also includes “salmon pink” adobe bricks from Puebla, which form decorative screen walls, and locally sourced macuil wood, used to build furniture and joinery.
“The use of materials of Mexican origin was of vital importance,” added De la Concha.
Building materials include pink adobe bricksCasa Yuma is situated between the seafront and a vast grove of palm trees. It is formed mainly of single-storey buildings, with zigzagging staircases providing access to rooftop patios.
The reception is housed inside a palapa – a traditional Mexican hut with a palm leaf roof. From here, guests are led past the bedroom suites to arrive at facilities on the beachfront.
A beach bar is among the seaside guest facilitiesThese facilities include an open-air restaurant, co-working lounge, beach bar, swimming pool, sunken firepit area and a spa cabin.
“The layout of the elements is based on a linear axis with a direct path from the entrance to the beach, passing through the rooms to reach a pool facing the sea,” said De la Concha.
Ludwig Godefroy’s Casa TO hotel presents a “reinterpretation of a Oaxacan temple”
He said the concept was for “a barefoot hotel” where guests always have the feeling of being on the beach.
“We want to create a unique atmosphere so that guests feel comfortable in every corner of the hotel and feel like they have found a second home,” added co-owner Tim de Belloy.
The hotel offers co-working and wellness facilitiesThe interior design follows a similar ethos to the architecture, with craft objects and textiles sourced from local makers. These include handmade wall tiles, minimal nightstands, woven rugs and striped bedspreads.
“Most of the decorative elements come from incredibly talented local artisans and underscore our commitment to preserving regional culture,” said Skalli.
“The aim is to offer unique spaces, where each room retains its individuality while inspiring a familiar experience.”
A sunken firepit lounge sits alongside the swimming poolOther recent Mexican hotels on Dezeen include a hotel by Productora and Esrawe Studio on a hilly site in San Miguel de Allende and a boutique hotel coated in pink chukum and set in an artificial wetland in Puerto Escondido.
The photography is courtesy of Casa Yuma.
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Mexican studio Worc Studio has inserted a minimalist boba tea shop into a colonial building in Mexico City, where drinks are passed into a translucent vertical “tunnel”.
Behind a traditional plaster facade with exposed stone trims, the compact Yoozoo shop in the Mexican capital’s Colonia Renacimiento neighbourhood emits a warm glow to entice passersby.
Boba tea fans in Mexico City can order and collect the drinks inside a polycarbonate tube”The exterior facade is integrated into a typical colonial building that radiates a minimalist charm that takes customers into a captivating polycarbonate tunnel filled with soft light,” said Worc Studio.
The shop solely sells variations of boba tea, or bubble tea – a drink that originated in Taiwan and is made of tea, milk, water, sugar and tapioca pearls.
The customer area is wrapped by translucent material on three sidesTo order and receive their iced milky drinks, the only space that customers can access is a tiny double-height area directly in front of the door.
“Occupying a small space, the design concept revolves around creating a journey for visitors, combining modern aesthetics with functionality,” said the studio.
Drinks are ordered and collected through black-ringed portholesDown two steps from the street, they enter into a vertical polycarbonate “tunnel” that curves around to enclose the space on three sides.
A circular light fixture above illuminates the translucent plastic and a singular blue-stone stool placed in the centre of the space.
The Yoozoo logo is affixed to the polycarbonate shell”Here, customers are invited to interact with the space, not only selecting their preferred boba tea flavours, but also capturing moments of joy and excitement with friends or loved ones against the backdrop of the vibrant interior,” said Worc Studio.
Two black-ringed portholes, one to the left and the other to the right, are used for placing and collecting drink orders.
MYT+GLVDK creates industrial-style restaurant in Mexico City
The Yoozoo team prepares the drinks in the U-shaped space around the central tunnel, where counters and shelves wrap the perimeter.
“The station behind the tunnel is designed to be efficient, with a streamlined counter and all the kitchen equipment,” Worc Studio said.
The tiny space is illuminated by a circular light fixture aboveTall windows in the street facade offer glimpses into the preparation zone, but digital menu boards and decorative wrought-iron railings obscure most of the view.
This ironwork is repeated in a contemporary style for the window frame and mullions above the door, and the Yoozoo logo which appears both inside and out.
The minimalist interior contrasts the building’s colonial-style exteriorMexico City has its fair share of fun and unusual dining and drinking spaces, including a recently completed fast-casual restaurant where exposed concrete walls are covered in wavy green metal mesh.
The bubble tea concept also lends itself to playful interiors, as seen at a London cafe where tiers of cork seating are arranged around brightly coloured tables.
The photography is courtesy of Worc.
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Works by Mexican designers Fernando Laposse and Claudina Flores were among those shown in a remote seaside house near Puerto Escondido, Mexico, during Mexico Design Fair.
Dozens of works were placed throughout the house, called Casa Naila, which was designed by Mexican architect Alfonso Quiñones – who used techniques gleaned from his work with Japanese architect Tadao Ando on the nearby Casa Wabi arts centre.
Mexico Design Fair took place in a seaside home made up of pavilions. Photo by Jaime NavarroCasa Naila’s concrete foundations, wooden structure and thatched walls and ceilings were at risk because of the erosion, so their was turned into a pavilion and used for years as a location for the invite-only fair.
According to the fair, the purpose of the exhibition was to execute a “long-term vision that foresees better conditions for the design disciplines in the country through critical dialogue, production and quality exhibition contents”.
Furniture was displayed throughout the house’s multiple structuresArranged throughout the different pavilions of Casa Naila were furniture and decor objects.
As visitors entered the structure there was an arrangement of colourful stools by Oaxaca City-based designer Jaime Levin, with sculptural legs, woven nylon tops and multiple seats on some of the stools.
Directly across, in the kitchen area, was an arrangement of glassware by Mexican company Xauixe – noted for its use of recycled glass in its products and recycled cooking oil used to heat its ovens.
Glassware from Xauixe was featuredThe other furniture installations filled the ground and second levels of the other two pavilions.
These included works by Mexico City and London-based designer Laposse, who uses materials like agave fibres to create material with applications for rural communities. His works included the small, white and “hairy” Pup bench and wall panels with marquetry made from corn husks.
Laposse was named Designer of the Year award from the fair.
The programming included a pyrotechnic installationArranged in tandem with Laposse’s pieces were intricately constructed cabinets by Guadalajara-based designer Claudina Flores, who recently featured in our round-up of design studios in Guadalajara.
The show also included a colourful set of outdoor metal furniture by César Ponce and Carlos Torre Hütt, wooden chairs draped with plush leather cushions by Brooklyn studio Prime Project, as well as floor rugs by Indian firm Odabashian with designs by American designer Little Wing Lee and Argentinian Pilar Zeta.
Ten noteworthy exhibitions from Design Week Mexico 2023
On the beach was a spindly structure by artist and producer David Sánchez, which became a pyrotechnic installation at the end of the one-day showcase.
Many of the guests and designers were housed in Hotel Escondido, an hour’s drive north from the fair’s location.
Mexican designer Fernando Laposse showed his material experimentations and was awarded the Designer of the Year honour. Photo by Jaime NavarroSelect programming took place in the architecturally significant homes around Hotel Escondido – including the temple-like Casa Monte by Carlos Matos.
At Casa Malandra, a beachside home designed by Taller Alberto Calleja, visitors were treated to traditional tamales made in a massive basalt oven designed by artist Julio Martinez Barnetche.
A massive basalt oven was shown as part of the satellite programmingWhile the fair showcased a wide array of designers, some of the participants commented on the remoteness of the venues, and the invite-only status of the guests meant that the participants were limited but that the visitors did become tight-knit as the programming went on.
Other small-format design fairs in Latin America included a showcase in a monument in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic organised by Galerie Philia last year.
Photography by Gerardo Maldonado unless otherwise stated.
Mexico Design Fair took place from 24 to 26 May in Puerto Escondido. For more fairs, exhibitions and talks in architecture and design visit the Dezeen Events Guide.
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