Teoztalán Lounge by Cadaval & Solà-Morales in Mexico

Project: Teoztalán LoungeArchitects: Cadaval & Solà-MoralesLocation: Teoztalán, MexicoArea: 2,690 sq ftPhotography: Diego Berrocal

Teoztalán Lounge by Cadaval & Solà-Morales

Cadaval & Solà-Morales designed the Teoztalán Lounge – a public space in Teoztalán, a small Mexican town known for its historic center and wild nature. The city is popular among artists, musicians, and other creatives who have long valued its rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes. The lounge is the first building in a larger project that also includes several bungalows of different sizes and designs available for rent over various periods.

Teoztalán is a small town located between rocky cliffs in southern Mexico. Its preserved historic center and wild nature make it legendary with deep cultural roots, cherished by writers, poets, artists, and musicians for decades. It has become their home or weekend retreat. Located in this extraordinary setting surrounded by breathtaking scenery, the Teoztalán Lounge is the first completed building within a larger project that also includes a series of bungalows in various sizes and designs, available for rent by the year, month, or day. The lounge serves as a central public space for outdoor relaxation and is located on the edge of an amazing meadow. The project's uniqueness lies in its ability to allow visitors to experience a carefully tended meadow while highlighting the wild nature at its edges. The project represents a balance between interior and exterior, creating an intermediate state of inhabitable threshold that becomes the central space of the project; boundaries between open and closed spaces merge, forming a unified architectural entity.

The design features three distinct living zones, each designed according to planned activities. Each zone is defined by purpose and architectural container: the first contains an open bar with kitchen area, along with several restrooms and cloakrooms; the second is a children's play zone that can also function as a reading room when temperatures drop; and the third container is the largest, offering a cozy enclosed space for conversations, TV watching, etc. However, it's precisely the desire to ensure continuity between these three separate zones that strengthens the project and makes it significant; a continuous space fully in contact with nature but protected from its harshness is created not only to extend closed functions but also to allow new activities to emerge.

It is precisely through defining the central space, through its form, that adjacent inner courtyards are determined; they are just as important to the project as the built architecture itself, allowing for a cohesive spatial experience. At the same time, the three constructed containers ensure continuity of the central space through their use and placement, while adjacent terraces complement it by adding diversity and distinctiveness to the open area. The design of the pool is also part of this intervention, responding to the desire to characterize the spaces; its formalization resonates with the lounge layout, including in nature multiple ways of using water and immersion.

The building is positioned as a base, highlighting views to the mountains. The structure seeks to respect the existing context and understands that vegetation and outdoor life are true heroes. Two impressive trees located on site have been integrated into the lounge layout as if they were part of the program. The Teoztalán Lounge is built from concrete not only because it's a cost-effective and labor-intensive material in Mexico, minimizing maintenance, but also to showcase its architectural simplicity and neutrality relative to the stunning landscape.

–Cadaval & Solà-Morales