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    Esrawe + Cadena house Mexico City fragrance boutique within radial pavilion

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    This wooden pavilion set among lush gardens forms a retail space in Mexico City for fragrance brand Xinú, designed by its founders Esrawe + Cadena.

    The Xinú Marsella space occupies a former car mechanic’s workshop in the city’s Juarez neighborhood that has been transformed into an oasis of greenery.
    Esrawe + Cadena built the Xinú boutique within an industrial courtyard transformed into a verdant gardenIt was built to provide a multi-sensory experience for customers of perfume and home scent brand Xinú, which designers Héctor Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena founded in 2016.
    Both had a hand in creating the retail space, which is intended to reinvigorate the leftover industrial space and provide an enjoyable spot to visit.
    The single-storey pavilion is built almost entirely from laminated tornillo wood”The design approach started with the idea of gifting a garden to the neighbourhood, ingeniously giving life to a vacant space by harmoniously blending a holistic experience that integrates the seductive power of nature, with design and architecture,” said the design team.

    Visitors approach the space via an unassuming metal gateway on the street, passing through a tunnel with many potted plants on either side before emerging into the courtyard.
    Its radial construction emanates from a central columnA flagstone path guides this journey to and around a circular single-storey pavilion built almost entirely from laminated tornillo wood.
    Its radial construction revolves around a large central pillar, from which structural beams emanate to support tongue-and-groove ceiling panels.
    Vertical louvres around the perimeter support shelves and vitrines displaying various itemsThe pavilion sits on a steel frame atop a system of red grandis wood beams, while a pine lattice above the ceiling supports a plywood board roof.
    Around the perimeter are a series of vertical louvres that provide anchors for shelves and vitrines displaying a variety of items.
    Products on view include Xinú’s fragrances, candles and other olfactory-related piecesGlass panels fill most of the gaps between the louvres, except the two that are left for the wooden doors.
    At night, a ring of track lighting illuminates the displays that range from Xinú perfumes and candles, to olfactory-stimulating natural items, small plants and botanical drawings.
    The boutique is designed to offer Xinú customers a “a powerful authentic brand narrative””This thoughtful arrangement allows the periphery to fully embrace the botanical realm, correlating scents, candles, incense and home products with the vivid tapestry of the landscape,” the team said.
    “Supported by a powerful authentic brand narrative, the pavilion unfolds as a contemplative journey, a multi-sensory approach inviting guests to explore a universe crafted by simplicity and the fragrant symphony of nature as well as Xinú’s unique products and scents.”

    Mexican design and architecture undergoing a “renaissance” says Héctor Esrawe

    Xinú launched during Design Week Mexico in 2016, when the brand’s stacked-hemisphere reusable bottles – also designed by Esrawe Studio and Cadena & Asociados – were unveiled.
    Esrawe is one of Mexico’s most prolific contemporary designers, and in a recent interview with Dezeen, said that Mexican design and architecture is undergoing a “renaissance”.
    The courtyard is accessed from the street via a metal gate and reached by following a flagstone pathHis studio’s recent projects include the Albor Hotel in San Miguel de Allende where planes of green tile are suspended from the lobby ceiling and an apartment in Mexico City anchored by a cruciform cabinet.
    Cadena frequently collaborates on projects with Esrawe, offering art direction, concept design and brand identity.
    Track lighting inside the pavilion and uplights in the plants create an atmospheric setting at nightOther projects the two studios have completed together include Grupo Arca’s showroom and cultural centre in Guadalajara and the Tierra Garat cafe in Polanco, Mexico City.
    The photography is by Alejandro Ramírez.
    Project credits:
    Concept and experience: Esrawe + CadenaArchitecture, interior design, furniture: Esrawe StudioDisplay and artwork design: Cadena ConceptsDesign team: Heisei Carmona, Nuria Martin, Laura Vela, Ángel Durán, Raúl Araiza, Rodrigo Romero, Pablo ÁvilaVisualisations: Yair UgarteScale models: Alejandro Uribe, David DíazWood: MicmacStructure: Sergio LópezInstallations: JLC RemodelacionesLandscaping: Arturo FloresLighting: Lighteam

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      Ten Mexican holiday homes characterised by earthy hues

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      From a brutalist dwelling nestled in a pine forest to a beachy weekend retreat with a rooftop swimming pool, our latest lookbook features 10 holiday homes across Mexico.

      While known for their often vibrant colours, Mexican interiors also include many examples of more muted designs. These earthy hues are often created through the use of natural and local materials, such as wood and stone.
      Holiday homes are located all over the country, which has a varied landscape and is famous for its escapist destinations. Here are 10 Mexican holiday homes that combine pared-back colour palettes with getaway-style luxury.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring metal furniture, breakfast nooks and living spaces with swings.
      Top and above: photos by Rory GardinerCasa Alférez, Alférez, by Ludwig Godefroy

      This holiday home is a brutalist dwelling clad in board-formed concrete and located in a pine forest in the country’s Alférez region.
      French architect Ludwig Godefroy, who is Mexico City-based, added a conversation pit to the cathedral-like living area, which features a spindly double-height fireplace.
      Find out more about Casa Alférez ›
      Photo by LGM StudioHoliday home, San Simón El Alto, by Estudio Atemporal
      Local architecture office Estudio Atemporal designed a weekend retreat in San Simón El Alto village with an oversized gabled roof.
      Inside, the studio created a statement brick wall in the angular, open-plan living space defined by timber and concrete accents. Generous glass doors lead to a covered outdoor patio.
      Find out more about this holiday home ›
      Photo by César BéjarVilla Cava, Tulum, by Espacio 18 Arquitectura
      Neutral tones and textures define this house in Tulum that was informed by cenotes – ancient sunken water-filled limestone pits and caves found across Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
      Espacio 18 Arquitectura carved a circular window into one of the home’s ceilings, which reveals a rooftop swimming pool. Blue-coloured light filters through the opening, emphasising the cavernous atmosphere.
      Find out more about Villa Cava ›
      Photo by Diego Padilla MagallanesLa Extraviada, Mazunte, by Em-Estudio
      Architecture firm Em-Estudio stepped a pair of concrete residential volumes down a rocky hillside overlooking the coastal town of Mazunte, Oaxaca.
      Called La Extraviada, the holiday home includes an eclectic kitchen and dining space flanked by floor-to-ceiling timber shutters that open onto a terrace with a swimming pool.
      Regional materials, including guapinol wood and local stone obtained from nearby quarries, feature throughout the earthy-hued project.
      Find out more about La Extraviada ›
      Photo by Fabian MartinezCasa Tres Árboles, Valle de Bravo, by Direccion
      Architecture studio Direccion took cues from “monastic” sanctuaries when renovating this weekend retreat in Valle de Bravo.
      The open-plan living space includes exposed warm-toned wooden ceiling beams, which contrast against dark-painted walls. A soft-red sofa adds a rare pop of colour to the otherwise muted interiors.
      Find out more about Casa Tres Árboles ›
      Photo by Rory GardinerLos Terrenos, Monterrey, by Tatiana Bilbao
      Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao added a multifunctional ceramic screen to the interior of Los Terrenos – a holiday home in Monterrey with mirrored glass facades that reflect the surrounding wooded site.
      “[The screen] works as solid and permeable floor, a screen partition, a structural wall, and as a semi-open wall that allows ventilation and sunlight to bathe the interior spaces,” explained Bilbao’s eponymous studio.
      Find out more about Los Terrenos ›
      Photo by AnsatzTonalli House, Jalisco, by Moises Sánchez 
      This stucco-clad holiday home was punctuated with strategic openings and takes cues from architecture commonly found in Mexican villages, according to its designer Moises Sánchez.
      Sánchez created an understated interior palette referencing the nearby architecture surrounding Lake Chapa, where the home is located. For example, the blocky terrazzo staircase doubles as a stepped plinth for sandy-coloured ornaments.
      Find out more about Tonalli House ›
      Photo by César BéjarCasa Areca, Tulum, by CO-LAB Design Office
      Local studio CO-LAB Design Office created Casa Areca to merge with its lush Tulum setting.
      The open-plan ground floor includes pivot doors and retractable glass walls, which enable the social area to flow into the jungle-like garden. Creamy walls and polished concrete floors were paired with local tzalam wood, jute accents and ceramic vases filled with hand-selected wild grasses.
      Find out more about Casa Areca ›
      Photo by Dove DopeEl Aguacate, El Barrial, by Práctica Arquitectura
      El Aguacate – or “The Avocado” – is a holiday home in El Barrial village made almost entirely out of concrete.
      Práctica Arquitectura topped the main living area with a tall pyramidal roof featuring a boxy skylight. The studio added a built-in fireplace and alter-like dining table to the space – also made from smooth concrete.
      Find out more about El Aguacate ›
      Photo by Rafael GamoCasa Cova, Puerto Escondidio, by Anonimous
      When designing Casa Cova in Puerto Escondido, Mexican studio Anonimous took cues from pre-colonial architecture.
      Inside, the central living space is kept cool by a traditional thatched roof made of dried palm leaves, called a “palapa.” Tiny square openings were also cut into some of the walls, creating “a dynamic light pattern from dusk till dawn”.
      Find out more about Casa Cova ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring metal furniture, breakfast nooks and living spaces with swings.

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      Suspended bridges connect round cabin hotels in Mexico

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      Mexican architect María José Gutiérrez has placed a series of round, pine-clad cabins connected by suspended bridges onto a vineyard in Mexico to serve as vacation rentals.

      Located in Valle de Guadalupe, Ensenada on the Baja Peninsula, Zeuhary Hospedaje Campestre includes a community lounge and four vacation rental cabins.
      Top: photo by Martin Acevedo. Above: the cabins are located in Baja California, Mexico. Photo by Jonatan Ruvalcaba Maciel”Beyond creating spaces we aim to create experiences, where nature and human beings integrate and recognize each other,” María José Gutiérrez, who leads Mexican studio Arqos Arquitectura Arte Y Diseño, told Dezeen.
      “The architecture and interior design were focused on connecting with the environment and maintaining harmony with it.”
      Central bedrooms feature in the round buildingsCompleted in June 2022, the 250 square metres (2,690 square feet) of built area is divided into five 40-square metre (430-square foot) structures that look outward to the surrounding wine region.

      The ground floor of each cabin is divided orthogonally, splitting off a portion for a partially covered exterior porch that leads into the sleeping space through a glass sliding door.
      Their interiors are sectioned into bathrooms along one sideThe interiors were sectioned into a bathroom along one side, a central bedroom and a kitchenette tucked behind the headboard wall.
      “In the furniture and interior decoration, we used organic materials from the region and different areas of the country, earth tones and grey contrasts, crafts, natural fibers, textiles, local wood and stone, recognizing Mexican handicraft talent and tradition,” the studio said.
      “The chukum finish on the interior walls gives an organic texture and helps keep the interiors cool in summer, while the exterior coating of recycled pine wood allows the cabins to be thermally insulated in both winter and summer for greater energy efficiency.”
      Small private gardens feature round jacuzzisThe cabins are all rotated to face a particular northern or eastern view without compromising privacy for the occupants.
      A small planted garden protected by a grey wall rings a quarter of each plan, terminated by a private in-ground jacuzzi, connected to the cabin by a wooden deck with planks that align with the vertical cladding boards as if the facade radiates down the wall and along the ground.
      Rooftop terraces are included atop each cabinUp a delicate metal spiral staircase with wooden treads, the round plan becomes a rooftop terrace complete with a rope net set into the roof of the porch like an integrated hammock.
      A free-swinging wooden bridge with rope netting guard rails is suspended from the roof of each cabin and leads to the roof of the common area, allowing guests to congregate in a central location.

      Dezeen’s top 10 cabins of 2023

      “The circular floor plan of the cabins, together with their transition spaces such as the hanging bridges, wooden paths and spiral staircases generate fluid and dynamic routes which allow us to reconnect with ourselves and awaken our inner child through play and movement,” the studio said.
      In addition to the material selection that responds thermally to the environment, the design works to preserve what little water the agricultural region has, reusing grey water for the irrigation of the vineyards.
      Zeuhary Hospedaje Campestre is positioned within a vineyardOther cabins recently completed in Mexico include a house deconstructed and separated for glamping within a forest in Nuevo León by S-AR and a brutalist cube-shaped holiday home tucked into a pine forest in Alférez by Ludwig Godefroy.
      The photography is by Jonatan Ruvalcaba Maciel unless otherwise stated. 
      Project credits:
      Architect: María José GutiérrezEngineering and construction: Specialized Urban Services

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      Bunkhouse and Reurbano convert 1940s Mexico City apartments into boutique hotel

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      American hotel brand Bunkhouse and interior design studio Reurbano have used motifs derived from the history of a Mexico City structure when converting it into a boutique hotel.

      Hotel San Fernando is located in the Condesa neighbourhood of Mexico City, a largely residential zone that in recent years has seen an influx of national and international travellers.
      Bunkhouse and Reurbano have converted a 1940s apartment building into a boutique hotel in Mexico CityBunkhouse worked with local interior design studio Reurbano to take a 1940s apartment building and convert it into a 19-room hotel, with finishes informed by the neighbourhood.
      The face of the structure was restored and painted a light green, with darker green used on the awnings that provide coverage for seating attached to the hotel’s lobby and restaurant, which open to the street through glass-paned French doors.
      It features renovated spaces that maintain details of the original structureAn art deco-style logo spells out the name of the hotel above the door. Saint Fernando is known as the patron saint of engineers, and the team wanted to highlight this by maintaining the name of the original building in the branding of the new structure.

      “We wanted to honour this building,” said Bunkhouse senior vice president of design Tenaya Hills.
      “We love the story and the history and like to imagine what it has been for people over the decades.”
      A spiral staircase leads from the lobby to the rooftopThis primary entrance features a metal door with glass panes informed by the original stained glass of the building.
      The entry corridor leads past a lobby lounge, with lighting by Oaxaca studio Oaxifornia and furnishings by local gallery Originario; and design studios Daniel Y Catalina, and La Metropolitana, which also created custom furniture for all of the guest suites.
      At the far end of the lobby lounge is the restaurant’s bar, which features a large semi-circular cabinet with mirrored back to hold the spirits. A chandelier by local sculptor Rebeca Cors hangs above the clay-clad bar.
      French doors feature at the entrance and on some of the roomsThe entrance corridor has green encaustic concrete tiles from the original building. Other original details include the wainscotting and casement windows.
      A reception area is located at the end of the corridor and behind it is a circular staircase with metal-and-wood railing that leads all the way up through the building, with landings on each of its five floors, terminating at a terrace on top of the building.

      Hybrid and Palma include organic elements within brutalist Mexican hotel

      The guest rooms range from single-room setups to multi-room suites, the largest of which are accessed through French doors with opaque windows.
      Here the studio departed from the greens used on the exterior and the lobby and utilised soft orange, pink and white paints.
      Light colours and hand-crafted goods fill the roomsFloors in the rooms are either tile or wood and furniture made from light-coloured wood is covered by locally derived textiles. Three rooms on the rooftop level feature furniture designed by Bunkhouse and fabricated by local design outfit B Collective Studio.
      Pendant lamps and sconces by local ceramicist Anfora are found in the kitchens and bathrooms.
      The rooftop features sculptural breeze blocksThe rooftop features a tiled dining and lounge area surrounded by sculptural breeze blocks, designed to mimic the original building’s patterned stained glass.
      Mexican design studios Mexa and Comité de Proyectos contributed furniture pieces for the rooftop.
      Other hotels in Mexico include a tile-clad structure in San Miguel de Allende by Productora and Esrawe Studio and a hotel in Mexico City with wooden lattices by PPAA.
      The photography is by Chad Wadsworth. 

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      RA! clads Mexico City taco restaurant with broken tiles

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      Local architecture studio RA! took cues from Latin American art deco design when creating the tiny interior of Los Alexis, a small taqueria in Mexico City’s Roma Norte neighbourhood.

      Los Alexis is a taco eatery – or taqueria – in Roma, a famed district in Mexico City, which features examples of art deco architecture.
      Los Alexis is a small taqueriaRA! drew on the “vibrant personality” of the area when designing the single 15-square-metre room restaurant, housed within a former beer depository.
      “One of the most important requests of our client was for this tiny space to shine among the rest of the retail premises on the street,” said studio co-founder and designer Pedro Ramírez de Aguilar.
      RA! clad the floors and walls in a mosaic of broken tilesRA! clad the walls and floors in a distinctive mosaic of broken ceramic tiles with green joints as an ode to Barcelona, where chef Alexis Ayala spent time training, the designer told Dezeen.

      A curved bar finished in slabs of ribbed green material fronts the open kitchen, which is positioned on the right of the small open space.
      Utilitarian materials were selected for their resilienceUtilitarian materials, including the tiles, were chosen throughout the restaurant for their “endurance and fast cleaning processes”.
      White-painted steel breakfast-style stools line the bar, which has a bartop made of steel – selected for its resistance to grease, according to Ramírez de Aguilar.

      Canadian surf town informs design for taco restaurant by September

      The studio decided to preserve the space’s original, peeling ceiling “to create a wider contrast [within the eatery] and to remember the old premises”.
      Informal seating lines the pavement just outside of the taqueria where customers can eat and socialise.
      The one-room eatery is defined by its bar and open kitchenOther than a small bathroom at the back of Los Alexis, the one-room restaurant is purposefully defined by its bar and open kitchen.
      “Typical ‘changarros’ [small shops] in Mexico City are all about the conversation with the cookers, so we tried to have this interaction between people as a main objective,” explained Ramírez de Aguilar.
      Founded in 2017, RA! previously created the interiors for a restaurant in the city’s Polanco neighbourhood with a bar counter shaped like an inverted ziggurat.
      DOT Coffee Station is another hole-in-the-wall cafe in Kyiv, Ukraine, which YOD Group designed with a similar floor-to-ceiling mosaic of tiles.
      The photography is courtesy of RA!

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      Tara Bernerd fills Maroma hotel in Mexico with artisanal elements

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      Interior designer Tara Bernerd worked with local artisans when dressing the cavernous rooms at the Maroma hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico, which were renovated to reflect hacienda-style living.

      Housed within white stucco volumes arranged on a coastal plot between lush jungle and the Caribbean sea, the longstanding Belmond hotel was renovated earlier this year but retained much of its traditional-style architecture.
      The Maroma hotel is housed within rounded stucco, palapa-topped volumesBernerd and a team of local artisans conceived the eclectic interiors to reflect the palapa-topped structures, creating a range of bespoke curved furniture and ornaments.
      “The buildings themselves are organic in shape and form and were originally positioned in response to the sacred Mayan geometry,” she told Dezeen.
      “We sought to retain and enhance the beauty of the hotel’s original character.”

      Tara Bernerd sought to reflect this “Mayan geometry” in the interior designAmong the custom pieces are over 700,000 tiles hand-painted and crafted by ceramicist José Noé Suro using clay from Mexico’s Jalisco region.
      The tiles cover the floors in all of the 72 guest rooms, which are characterised by rattan wardrobes and amorphous timber furniture pieces – 80 per cent of which were hand-carved.
      The guest rooms are characterised by rattan accents and blown glassArtisan Max Kublailan blew bulbous glass sconce lights, which feature throughout the rooms and are reminiscent of glowing gemstones.
      “We built up the layers of design within the spaces, with rich pops of colour being brought in through the tiled or mosaic floors, the use of decorative tiles in the walls and dado rail as well as cushions and fabrics,” explained Bernerd.
      An open kitchen clad in glazed ceramic tiles features in one restaurantMaroma’s two restaurants follow a similar design, with accents such as rattan pendant lights and tables featuring textured legs that give the appearance of tree trunks.
      An open kitchen clad entirely in caramel-hued glazed ceramic tiles was tucked into a corner of the Woodend eatery while Casa Mayor includes clusters of hand-painted plant pots.
      The other restaurant includes painted potted plants and oversized rattan lampshadesThroughout the hotel, cavernous alcoves were also dressed with custom interiors made up of stone, clay, wood and natural fibres.
      “Location and layout were key and I am especially proud of how we have managed to reimagine previously under-utilised areas and have created a balance between unique, dramatic spaces and cosier, slightly hidden areas,” said Bernerd.

      Estudio Macías Peredo stylises Mayan architecture for Punta Caliza boutique hotel

      Traditional Yucatán doors with dense timber frames and chandeliers made from clusters of seashells were chosen to respond to Maroma’s setting.
      The hotel’s central swimming pool was renovated with Sukabumi turquoise tiles handmade from volcanic stone to emulate the cenotes – water-filled sinkholes formed by the collapse of limestone – found in the Yucatán Peninsula.
      Cavernous corridors reflect the hotel’s architecture”In essence, we wanted to create something that was effortlessly serene and had the feeling of a chic home,” said the designer.
      “So we also drew inspiration from traditional hacienda-style living to create a relaxed, almost residential vibe throughout the resort and evoke a sense of connection, unity and flow between all of the public area buildings,” she concluded.
      The central swimming pool was informed by cenotesThe British designer is the founder of the London-based architecture and interiors office Tara Bernerd & Partners.
      Elsewhere in Mexico, local firms Productora and Esrawe Studio designed a San Miguel de Allende hotel with planes of green tile. Architect Alberto Kalach added a series of vaulted, brick arches to a resort in Oaxaca.
      The photography is courtesy of Belmond. 

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      Mexico City restaurant by RA! arranged around upside-down pyramid bar

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      A bar counter shaped like an inverted ziggurat sits at the centre of this restaurant in Mexico City, designed by local architecture studio RA!

      Tana is a tapas spot located in the city’s wealthy Polanco neighbourhood, within a compact and intimate space facing Parque Lincoln.
      The Tana restaurant is organized around a central concrete barRA! gutted the 65-square-metre unit to make way for its cave-like concept, achieved by applying textured plaster and concrete across the four-metre-high walls.
      “The intervention began by demolishing the superimposed finishes of the old premises, in order to discover the structure and the materials that originally constituted the space,” said RA! co-founder Pedro Ramírez de Aguilar.
      The bar’s inverted ziggurat form features cove lighting along its tiered sides”The balance of the sounds, colours, textures and tones of the space creates a cave atmosphere that shelters those who inhabit it,” he contined.

      The main dining area is organised around a central bar counter, which has a stepped form reminiscent of an ancient pyramid – similar to those located at the Aztec archeological site of Teotihuacan just outside of the city.
      Cove lighting also illuminates the plaster and concrete walls and floors around the restaurant’s perimeterRough concrete also wraps the bar’s tiered sides, under which cove lighting is installed to illuminate each layer.
      “The bar questions the traditional linear organization of bars to create a square distribution that allows greater coexistence between users and the mixologist,” Ramírez de Aguilar said.
      Slender-framed metal stools provide seating for dinersFurther cove lighting encircles the room just above floor level, and about two-thirds of the way up the walls, as well as beneath the narrow drink shelves.
      Behind the bar, a copper lighting fixture comprises two concentric circles, with a soft glow emanating from behind the small, front disk.
      Cylindrical concrete pendants lamps hang above the dining areaThe copper fixture was mounted on a floor-to-ceiling shelving system built from thin metal pipes, which displays liquor bottles and holds hanging plants at the top.
      “The plate made in Michoacán, Mexico, is positioned on a large formation of rods that go from the support cabinet to the ceiling, generating a series of shelves on which the bottles and other service elements are positioned,” said Ramírez de Aguilar.

      Sofía Betancur references nearby church for Pizzeria Della Madonna

      Tall, slender-framed stools surround the bar, and provide additional seating along either side of the space.
      Above hang cylindrical concrete pendant lamps with steel caps, which direct the light downwards as a series of spots.
      RA! designed the restaurant to look and feel like a caveBehind the shelving unit is a small, omakase-style dining area that offers guests a direct view of the kitchen.
      The restaurant opens fully to the street, where more tables are placed on a covered patio surrounded by plants.
      Tana also has a covered outdoor patio surrounded by plantsRA! was founded in 2017 by Ramírez de Aguilar along with Cristóbal Ramírez de Aguilar and Santiago Sierra in Mexico City, where the dining scene is booming and many creative minds are helping to shape interiors for its chefs.
      Along with Tana, new spots include Pizzeria della Madonna in Roma Norte, which designer Sofia Betancur modelled on a neighbouring church, and Ling Ling, an Asian fusion restaurant on the 56th floor of the Chapultepec Uno skyscraper.
      The photography is by Ariadna Polo.

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      Barde vanVoltt orients renovated Mexico City house around mezcal bar

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      A private mezcal bar forms the heart of this house that Amsterdam interior architecture firm Barde vanVoltt has overhauled in Mexico City’s La Condesa neighbourhood.

      Working for longstanding Dutch clients who live in Mexico, Barde vanVoltt transformed a historic, dilapidated building into a contemporary residence that respects the heritage of the existing structure.
      The building’s former life as a mezcal tasting venue influenced Barte vanVoltt to create a bar in its central courtyard”We walked together into this old, beautiful building, and instantly fell in love,” said studio founders Bart van Seggelen and Valérie Boerma. “Even though the house was falling apart, we felt its soul was fully alive.”
      The three-storey house had previously been used as a mezcal tasting venue, and the duo used this as a starting point for the design.
      Arched openings create routes through the home, passing through the open kitchen, living and dining spaceA primary aim of the renovation was to create a “vibrant oasis in the city” with a better connection to the outdoors.

      This was achieved by connecting a series of courtyards, terraces and semi-enclosed corridors to form a route and airflow through the building.
      An earthy colour palette was chosen for the minimalist interiors to create a relaxing aura”We worked together with Thalia from Aldaba Jardines, a talented landscape designer, to create a seamless flow from the indoors to the outdoors and back again,” said the studio..
      In the central courtyard, Barde vanVoltt removed the roof from the double-height space and replaced it with operable glass panels to let in more light.
      Multiple openings onto courtyard spaces encourage indoor-outdoor livingThe designers turned this space into a mezcal bar as a nod to the building’s former life that the owners could use for entertaining friends and family.
      Backed by a semicircular brass panel, upon which shelves for liquor bottles are mounted, the rounded bar counter is wrapped in narrow terracotta tiles.
      The back courtyard is used as an outdoor lounge and features planting up the grey plaster wallsA five-metre-tall guayabo tree was also planted in the courtyard, casting shadows across the surrounding walls.
      Open archways lead from this central space into various rooms including the kitchen and living area, which features dark cabinetry, open shelving, and a large bespoke wooden dining table.
      Floors for the stairs, bathroom and outdoor areas are tiled with handmade bricks by Tata MosaicosBeyond a row of French doors is the back courtyard that forms an outdoor lounge, and an annex that accommodates a home office on the upper level.
      To retain some of the original character, the architects recreated the cast iron, Art Deco windows and Spanish-style railings. and extended them to the back of the house.
      The neutral-toned decor continues in the three bedrooms on the first floorThe overall layout of spaces was kept largely the same, aside from a few walls that were removed to combine or create bigger rooms.
      For example, the primary bedroom and bathroom now flow together as one space, divided only by a partition of angled bricks that forms a backdrop to the freestanding bathtub.
      The primary bedroom and bathroom were combined into one space, with only a partition of angled bricks dividing them”We included the bathroom into the space to create a home sanctuary to rest and refresh,” said Barde vanVoltt.
      Two further bedrooms are located on the first floor, the other side of the central courtyard void at the front of the house.
      A series of semi-enclosed loggias connect the first-floor roomsThe roof terrace features a plunge pool, an outdoor shower, a row of loungers and built-in seats, all accessed via a spiral staircase from the loggia outside the main bedroom.
      The building’s exterior is covered in greige-coloured plaster, as a nod to Mexico’s prevalent concrete architecture, while warmer earth tones decorate the minimalist interiors.

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      Moss green sofa covers and bed linens visually tie to the plants outside, and wood, terracotta and off-white hues complement one another.
      “We love the natural feel these colours have together,” said the designers. “According to colour psychology, nature-inspired hues are the best for interiors as they soothe and invigorate.”
      The building’s original cast iron handrails were recreated and extended to the back of the propertyFloors for the stairs, bathroom and outdoor areas are tiled with handmade bricks by Tata Mosaicos, made from compacted earth sourced from different regions throughout Mexico.
      “This unique structure means they need 50 per cent less cement, using the sun and shade to dry naturally and secure the structure,” Barde vanVoltt said. “An environmentally friendly solution, sourced locally.”
      Custom lighting and Mexican objects, textiles, sculptures and other wall art are also found throughout the residence.
      The terrace also has multiple seating areas so that the family and their friends can gather outsideBarde vanVoltt has renovated many older buildings, having converted a former garage into a light-filled home and a century-old farmhouse into a retail store – both in the Netherlands.
      The photography is by Alejandro Ramírez Orozco.
      Project credits:
      Lead interior architect: Barde vanVolttContractor: CF Taller de ArquitecturaArchitect: ZVA Interiores & ArquitecturaBathroom: Agape BathroomsKitchen appliances: GaggenauLighting: Studio Davidpompa, ILWT, Nuumbra, Federico Stefanovich, DCW editionsMaterial: Tata MosaicosRugs: Txt.ureFurniture: Casa Quieta, Chuch Estudio, Acoocooro, Carl Hanssen & Sons, ArflexArt: Kreyé, Chic by Accident, Carlos Vielma, Prince Láuder, Axelle Russo, Rrres, Saudara, Luuna WabiLandscaping: Aldaba Jardines

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      Xokol restaurant by ODAmx and Rubén Valdez celebrates “collective ritual” of eating

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      Mexican architects ODAmx and Rubén Valdez have designed a restaurant with an ash-coloured interior inside a former mechanic’s workshop in Guadalajara.

      Now located in the Mexican city’s Santa Tere neighbourhood, Xokol began in 2017 within a small space that housed just four tables and room for 16 diners.
      Xokol occupies a former mechanic’s workshop that has been converted into a restaurantIn 2020, the restaurant relocated to this larger building, where the aim was to preserve as much of the intimacy and connection between the diners and chefs as possible.
      “Xokol is a restaurant in which the act of eating becomes a collective ritual,” said ODAmx and Rubén Valdez in a joint statement. “The architecture of the space acts a catalyst for the reinterpretation of Mexican culinary traditions and a communal dining experience in which the boundaries between diners, staff and food preparation are non-existent.”
      The interior is lined with dark grey stucco to create an intimate atmosphere, while corn cobs suspended above add the only colourThe restaurant’s interior has a minimalist, monastic quality thanks to the dark grey stucco covering the walls and ceiling, and the black clay comal ovens on full display in the open kitchen.

      “These muted tones foreground the naturally rich colour palettes of the dishes,” the architects said.
      The 15-metre-long dining table creates a communal setting for guests to share the experienceThe concrete workshop building’s exterior was left largely unchanged, aside from the layers of tall panels of steel added across the garage-door entrance to guide guests inside.
      A 15-metre-long oak table runs the length of the double-height interior, enabling 48 covers to be seated at once and share the experience.
      Traditional comal ovens made from black clay are on full display in the open kitchenSuspended above the table is an industrial pendant light that stretches its entice length, emitting a soft glow over the place settings.
      Over the centre of the dining area, a large skylight is covered by a metal grill from which hundreds of corn cobs hang – providing the only hint of colour in the otherwise monochrome restaurant, besides the dishes served.
      At the back, a grid of shelves hold glass jars for fermenting ingredientsThe kitchen runs alongside the table on the other side of the building, towards the back where a grid of shelves contains jars for fermenting ingredients.
      A staircase winds around a totemic stone sculpture by local artist José Dávila, up to a mezzanine level that overlooks the dining area.

      Ceiling inside Guadalajara’s Veneno restaurant resembles an archeological site

      All of the materials used for the project were sourced locally, and the dining table, pendant light and shelving were fabricated by Guadalajaran artisans.
      “Since its beginnings, Xokol has aimed to conserve and recover the Mazahua culinary traditions and share them with a broader public in a contemporary manner,” said the architects.
      The dark, minimalist interior has a monastic quality”The architectural project acts as an enabler for such goal where every design decision has been thought to achieve it,” they added.
      Xokol is shortlisted in the restaurant and bar interior category of Dezeen Awards 2023, along with a Toronto seafood restaurant by Omar Gandhi Architects, a vaulted brick brewery taproom in Poland by Projekt Praga and three more projects.
      A staircase up to a mezzanine level winds around a totemic sculpture by José DávilaGuadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, is a hotbed for architectural talent and has a thriving food scene.
      Other restaurants with impressive interiors in the city include Veneno, designed by Monteon Arquitectos Asociados to resemble an archeological site, and Hueso, which Cadena + Asociados lined with thousands of animal bones.
      The photography is by Rafael Palacios.
      Project credits:
      Architecture: ODAmx and Rubén ValdezCarpenter: Joselo MaderistaArtwork: José Dávila

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