Zacatecas
Zacatecas City, Mexico
conceptual proposal finished, never built
2000
11,342.54 m2
8,925.00 m2
Consorcio Aristos SA de CV
Partner (Alejandro Villarreal), invited Partner (Alfredo Acle)
The project is located in the colonial city of Zacatecas, on top of the Cerro de la Soledad, at the west part of the city, within the site of the so-called Aristos Hotel.
The project consists in the development of a series of villas that complement the services offered by the hotel. Thus, the project includes 71 villas with three different models: the first is a small tower of four levels with a suite in each level, the second is a single-family unit with 210 m2 and the third one is a single-family unit with 240 m2.
The villas are fitted to the topography of the site, generating a series of structures that are inserted in the hills to hide, give privacy and not detract the importance of the Hotel. At the same time such structures are raised up to enjoy the wonderful views offered by the city .
The project incorporates three major concepts rooted in the local culture: the first is the beauty of the carved stone found in the facades of the colonial churches of the city. The second is the qualities of the soil found in the region: red earth, almost alive. The third is the Talavera tiles, with their striking luster and their vivid contrast with the aridity of the stone and the land.
The villas are raised as volumes that generate a heterogeneous composition, creating a rich set of contrasts. We decided that the Villas should be separated from each other, creating a sense of territoriality and achieving greater privacy between them.
The exterior of the villas have an arid and earthy flavour, using materials that require little maintenance, such as redish concrete and local tiles. For the interior we proposed a series of austere finishes but with a fresh, bright and spacious quality.
VILLA 1
It is designed to contain what we call the “depa-suites”, a space that works for a customer who wishes to spend a few weeks in the city or by young a couple or family who wishes to live permanently in the Villa.
VILLA VILLA 2 And 3
These are designed to house a whole family who come to visit the city for a few weeks or to be permanently inhabited by bigger families living in the city.
The main space of these villas is the “Space of Being.” This space is wraped on the outside in Talavera tile, is located on the second level and is a free and flexible space designed to accomodate the specific preferences of each family.
This space may be of two different kinds: one is with a vertical intention (double height) and the other with an horizontal intention (with two internal courtyards).
The overall intention is to create a series of orthogonal domes covered with blue and white Talavera tile, that represent an abstraction of the domes found in the colonial churches of the city. Also we tried to set a dialogue with the whiteness of the buildings found in the city, with the white color of the exisiting building of the Aristos Hotel, but mainly we tried to merge the buildings with the whiteness of the clouds and the bright blue sky of Zacatecas.
