Hotel Carlota
The starting point of this project was an urban-archeological work. We found a building in complete decadence, formerly called Hotel Jardín Amazonas. We found a couple of images from its splendorous times that caught our attention, mainly by the central courtyard, that figured an oasis within the city. Nothing remained from that hotel apart from the typical structure of a motel, with exterior corridors and balconies above the courtyard, as well as countless layers of coverings, aggregates, stairs, ceilings and patches, as we commonly call them between architects. Today the hotel has 36 rooms, each with a special touch.
The façade, which was left untouched, had been probably remodeled in the 80´s, in an attempt to add the building a sense of modernity, it was covered with a glass layer with mirror aspect. The decision of which elements we should conserve and which to withdraw was a ludic process of gradual discovery.
We even decided to avoid the access through the facade and build a new one on the side in the neighbors’ parking lot, to modify the route’s travel and cause astonishment by making the visitors reach directly to the central courtyard we had idealized in the photographs.
In this process, apart from removing and showing the different layers, we decided to add some potential elements that could give cohesion and unity to the project.
The concrete structure of the existing building can be appreciated from every common area and hotel room.
The central courtyard becomes the busiest public space, having the restaurant all around, which is designed under the same criteria of the hotel and with furniture specifically made for this place.
The shop/gallery and library have integrated spaces with the courtyard that breaks the barriers between them that would define them independently. The library pretends to have a cozy enclosure through the atmosphere and the furniture that retrieves the colonial era.
The lattice of concrete blocks connects with these aims of spatial relationships, but also provides privacy and enriches the journey to the rooms.
The rooms have an interior living condition that depends on each host, some even have a private roof to sunbathe and enjoy the vertical urban landscape of Mexico City.
The interiors are made by a large team of contemporary Mexican designers that look after every detail in space, from the concrete furniture with custom wood incrustation, up to the bathroom accessories, focusing in making each piece according to each room distinctively. Contemporary art interventions cover some walls of the room giving them a touch of color and creating a unique space experience.
