sordo madaleno arquitectos designs zigzagging solaz los cabos hotel in mexico

located at the foot of a mountain at the southern tip of the gulf of california in mexico, sordo madaleno arquitectos has designed a zigzagging coastal complex that blends into its surroundings. comprising a series of stepped and staggered volumes and terraces, the ‘st regis los cabos’ resort is contained within a 12.4-hectare site bordering the pacific ocean to the south and a renowned golf course to the east.

images courtesy of sordo madaleno arquitectos

the architectural concept was guided by a need to properly integrate the construction into its surroundings. sordo madaleno arquitectos achieved this through the use of organic forms that refer to the movement of the waves, producing an attractive series of volumes that are adapted to the location.

the architecture is woven into its green surroundings using a series of paletted plants that were created in partnership with landscape architecture office gabayet 101 paisaje. the palette of plants was complemented with further native species according to the landscape design and the intention of each space. imitating the local vegetation and its unique natural setting, these landscaped areas harmonize the built features with external walkways, passages, and other outdoor amenities.

the selection of materials, planting and construction methods reinforce this concept of integration and were meticulously studied to ensure they would suit this beautiful site. a warm atmosphere created using tropical wood, textiles with fresh, mexican colors, and lines marked out in stone generate a distinctive contemporary aesthetic in every room.

as a result of the natural steep topography of the site, which climbs from sea level towards the north, it was decided to form three large curved terraces running east-west, and to place the hotel rooms at the western end. the circulation between these terraces is via narrow cuttings that also operate as dividing passageways with dense planting to separate the different functions, generating greater privacy.

the program comprises the hotel itself, apartments, restaurants, spa, amenities, site museum, open plazas and more. its principal building includes three, two-storey blocks stacked on top of each other and staggered to display ‘a great plasticity of form and organic movement.’ it contains 115 deluxe rooms, 13 suites and a presidential apartment.

one of the conceptual pillars of solaz los cabos is the artistic intervention in many of the spaces. here, mexican artist cesar lópez negrete creates and exhibits over 400 works of art that commemorate the life and culture of baja california in ancient times. his artistic vision complements each detail of the construction, at both the micro-level (hotel rooms) and the macro-level (open plazas and common spaces), in the appropriation of the space and the integration with the site.

project info

architectural team
architects: sordo madaleno arquitectos
president: javier sordo madaleno bringas
architecture leader: javier sordo madaleno de haro
project leader: alejandro coeto, boris pena
program: hotel
construction area: 150,000 m2
terrain area: 135,000 m2
termination date: 2018
status: built
location: san josé del cabo, baja california sur, mexico

design manager: alejandro espejel, cándido hernández, luis pucheta
design team: iovany fuentes, david pazos, miguel baranda, marco pucheta, santiago garcía de letona, giordana rojas, daniela camarena, carlos nuñez, francisco barrera
engineering coordination: marcos hernández
engineering team: héctor ruiz
media & marketing: rosalba rojas, daniela cruz, jimena orvañanos, daniela rosas, angélica chávez, lorena moreno
interior design: sordo madaleno arquitectos
interior directors: nadia borrás, enrique ralph
interior team: guillermo márquez, greg leiner, pilar ocejo, gabriela mondragón, andoni barcón, héctor galaz, maripaz coto, melissa peña, rossy león, luz edith osuna, keshin fuhrmann, ingrid flores, fernanda patiño, regina jarque, alejandro gómez-moncada, marcia mejía, miguel galindo, cristina ramos, alejandra angeles
structural engineering: ing. jaime palacios
electric engineering: cien acres
air conditioning engineering: dypro
systems & special engineering: innovative design
hydrosanitary engineering: termo aire consultores mecánicos
water treatment plant engineering: hidro ecología especialistas en tratamiento de agua
fire safety engineering: viza fire
lighting consultant: luz y forma
acustic consultant: omar saad
av consultant: innovative design
landscape consultant: gabayet paisajistas
fire safety consultant: bice vertical
construction: quinta del golfo de cortés s.a. de c.v.
photography: rafael gamo