estudio macías peredo curates serene mexican architecture with punta caliza hotel in holbox

along mexico’s destination island of holbox, estudio macías peredo (EMP) arquitectos, presents its punta caliza hotel. sited a great distance away from the shore, the project occupies a ‘leftover’ piece of land near the border of a mangrove swamp where construction is prohibited. the boutique hotel is comprised of three bays which together serve to create an aquatic landscape all its own. the interiors are enclosed by three large green roofs overhead, and maintain an element of isolation from each other. in this way, the palapa-type structure retains its clear and simple construction.

all images by césar béjar

in the design of punta caliza hotel holbox, estudio macías peredo arquitectos makes use of the historic palapa typology, drawn from typical mayan residential spaces. this system frees the walls from their structural role, allowing the interior to remain open from all sides and encompassed by the water which flows in from a flooded courtyard. the serene water feature, which atmospherically defines the project, recalls the iconic mangrove swamps which cover holbox island. the punta caliza hotel holbox allows guests to rest beneath a palapa built from solid and aromatic cedar wood and experience its rich, exposed structure and breezy interiors.

rather than implementing the typical circulation method of routes between rooms, estudio macías peredo aquitectos shifts the walkways to the perimeter of the site. the heart of the project can only be inhabited in the water and, ideally, in peaceful solitude. the small hotel emerges from the site to negotiate with rising sea levels on an unstable island, anticipating this condition with a drowned cloister. at the narrowest corner of the project, a tower emerging with a flatiron condition accommodates the services while providing a viewpoint over the mangrove swamp to the two bodies of water that demarcate the strip of holbox.

project info:

project title: punta caliza hotel holbox

architecture: estudio macías peredo

lead architects: salvador macías corona, magui peredo arenas

location: isla holbox, quintana roo, méxico

project director: leonardo ruíz

project team: claudia muñoz, denisse sandoval, carlos mendiola, mauricio vázquez, andrea arregui, ernesto rizo

interior design: claudia muñoz

contractor: cipriano hernández

structuralist: juan jesús aguirre, ceromotion

adviser: salvador reye, josefina larraín

year: 2017

photography: césar béjar