Architecture
Casona Sforza
The hotel was designed in a monochromatic color scheme.
Image courtesy of: Departures, photographed by: Ana Hop
On the coast of Puerto Escondido in Mexico’s Oaxaca state, a new 11-room adult-only, boutique hotel, Casona Sforza, has risen from the sand. Originally, the project was a commission for a private beach house for the Argentinian entrepreneur, Ezequiel Ayarza Sforza. However the businessman soon realized that this place was simply too special to not be shared. Sforza told Interior Design, “It’s such a special place—I realized it should be shared with others.”
Sforza commissioned Alberto Kalach to design the eco-friendly mini-hotel that consists of 11-guest suites, a bar, and a restaurant. The Mexican architect employed nine arches that (courtesy of Departures) “rise from the sand like Roman aqueducts. Outlined against the sky, these soaring golden scallops seem like they’ve been here since the beginning of time.”
Like most everything else, the beige bricks that make up the arched vaults at Cason Sfroza are locally sourced
Image courtesy of: Loyal Nana, photographed by: Amanda Saviñón
Upon arrival, visitors encounter a tall bamboo gate that opens up to a muted color scheme of beige, ecru, ivory, and cream. The idea is that the colors at the hotel mimic the colors of the surrounding landscape of bleached sand and stone.
Perhaps the most iconic design elements are the arches which are grouped into two sets. The first set of arches are home to the lounge, restaurant, and bar. A long pathway, separated in half by a stream of water connects the original four arches to a grouping of the remaining five arches.
The lounge’s double-height emits serenity. Inside, wood-and-rattan armchairs and a daybed gather underneath palm-frond pendant light fixtures handwoven in Jalisco.
Image courtesy of: Architectural Digest, photographed by: Alex Krotkov
The seeds for Casa Sforza were actually laid years ago when Sforza started a community project in the Sierra of Oaxaca called Pueblo del Sol. Sforza was intent on preserving the artisanal traditions of Indigenous Oaxacas; he realized that a wonderful way to support Pueblo del Sol was to turn the home he was building for himself into a hotel that would help to support the community.
Oliver Janiky, the hotel’s general manager told Departures, “One hundred percent of the hotel’s earrings go to Pueblo del Sol. All of the products used by the hotel, in addition to the furnishings, are made by Pueblo del Sol’s Indigenous artisans. In such, the hotel has turned into a “vehicle for preserving Indigenous land, community, and craft.”
The hotel’s remote location adds to its intrigue.
Image courtesy of: Uniq Hotels
The interiors were designed by the Mexico City-based studio MOB; the firm featured only locally-sourced furniture, textiles, and ceramics. The hotel’s rugs were woven in Teotitlán del Valle, the small nearby village; curtains, chairs, and the lace-like hammocks were fabricated in the Yucatán Peninsula, and the intricate, hanging palm-leaf lamps came from Veracruz, a nearby port city. Even the body products provided for the visitors are locally-made. Specifically, the soaps are made with 60% honey from Pueblo del Sol’s community beehives.
In addition to being a source of funding, Casa Sforza is also providing vital security to the neighboring community of artisans. Particularly, this reliabillity allows Indigenous people to remain in control of their own land.
The hotel’s design was based in millenary techniques.
Image courtesy of: Casa Sforza
The hotel’s orientation allows for experiencing the most majestic sunsets. Nicknamed, “the show,” Puerto Escondido’s glowing sunsets of orange, purple, and red last half an hour. It isn’t out of the question to consider that the palatial dove-gray daybeds add to the magical experience.
Kalach’s intention of providing a sense of peacefulness proved successful. He explained that “the curves on vaulted ceilings ‘allow positive energy to flow better. Vibrations bounce around and create a sense of peacefulness.'” Both owner and architect point out that the design’s main purpose was to “prioritize reflection, awareness, and beauty. To enhance and bring to the main stage the surrounding natural elements like ocean sounds, the breeze, the sun, and the stars.” Mission accomplished!
