Deeply intertwined with Mexican identity, Mayan culture has become a primary frame of reference when it comes to architecture in the country, with many local architects seeking to integrate Pre-Colombian, Mesoamerican ideologies with contemporary design.
With Mayan culture as a starting point, Mexican firm Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos has designed Isla Pasión (Passion Island), a project for a new tourism development on the Caribbean island of Cozumel, located to the southeast of Mexico. The masterplan incorporates suites, stilt homes, a spa area, common areas, and a residential zone. The project originated from an understanding of the context, both architecturally and naturally, resulting in the use of natural materials, like wood and stone, as well as carrying out a reinterpretation of traditional Mayan architecture for the shape of the volumes.
Learn more about this project, which was also a 2015 WAF finalist, after the break.
