{"id":431924,"date":"2025-09-17T19:51:29","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T19:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/431924\/"},"modified":"2025-09-17T19:51:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T19:51:29","slug":"v-taller-designs-mexican-residential-complex-informed-by-tower-of-babel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/431924\/","title":{"rendered":"V Taller designs Mexican residential complex informed by Tower of Babel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mexican studio V Taller<\/a> has completed a residential complex in Tulum<\/a>, Mexico that features a series of vaulted<\/a> apartments surrounding a tower representative of the mythical Tower of Babel, all finished in pink<\/a> stucco.<\/p>\n

Completed in 2024, the 6,178-square-metre (66,500-square-foot) complex serves as an “architectural response to the intersection of space, time and environment, redefining architecture as a regenerative force rather than an imposition on the landscape,” Guadalajara-based V Taller<\/a> explained.<\/p>\n

\"BabelV Taller has designed a housing complex encircling a central tower<\/p>\n

At the centre of the project sits a round central tower, punctured by vertical slit windows and accessed by a freestanding staircase that traverses a small moat. Plants ring the base and crown of the sculptural structure, and a triangular aperture opens to the sky, directing views upward.<\/p>\n

“Through its interplay of mass and void, solidity and openness, it embodies Babel’s fundamental approach \u2013 where architecture serves not only as shelter but as a mediator between human experience and the natural world,” the studio said.<\/p>\n

\"PinkPink stucco covers the residential building<\/p>\n

The project has an eye-shaped plan with the tower as the pupil. Across a planted courtyard that allows space for reforestation and optimises airflow, nearly 60 residential units are stacked in three levels.<\/p>\n

Set on a total area of less than one acre, the curved, vertical complex reduces “land consumption by nearly 40% compared to conventional horizontal developments [and] concentrates construction while preserving significant open spaces,” the studio explained.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Casa<\/p>\n

Espacio 18 Arquitectura perches crab-like Casa Tobi on Mexican coast\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Catering to both Tulum’s tourism industry and its permanent residents, the efficient apartments include both short-term rentals and long-term homes with fully equipped kitchens, combined living and dining areas, private bedrooms and bathrooms and a garden or balcony with an integrated jacuzzi.<\/p>\n

Separated by narrow staircases, which serve as “tunnels of light”, the apartments are laid out in a radial plan capped by a series of straight and wedge-shaped barrel vaults.<\/p>\n

“The layout of each unit subtly varies depending on its position within the curved structure, ensuring that every residence maintains a seamless connection with its surroundings,” the studio said.<\/p>\n

\"InteriorDouble-height interiors feature large windows<\/p>\n

The ground floor units are characterised by an arched colonnade that opens to the courtyard, while the middle level features inverted semi-circular openings on the internal balconies. The double-height upper floor allows light and views to the courtyard through elongated oval-shaped openings.<\/p>\n

The entire project is finished in chukum, a limestone-based stucco common to the Yucat\u00e1n Peninsula, laid over reinforced concrete. The handcrafted, soft pink material is valued for its resistance to humidity, thermal regulation and low maintenance.<\/p>\n

\"PoolThe apartments open onto balconies<\/p>\n

Inside, tropical wood species and clay elements create a warm, textured atmosphere of regional craftsmanship. Natural light works deep into the units through the windows that offer cross-ventilation and reduce the need for mechanical cooling in the tropical environment.<\/p>\n

“By prioritizing spatial efficiency, material authenticity, and bioclimatic strategies, the project establishes a regenerative framework for sustainable tourism,” the studio said. “Rather than treating architecture as an isolated object, Babel fosters a continuous interaction between built space and nature, where light, vegetation, and air shape the experience of inhabitation.”<\/p>\n

Previously, V Taller drew upon hacienda architecture for the design of a stucco house<\/a> in Jalisco and collaborated with Mexican firm Santoscreativos to design a boxy house<\/a> in Guadalajara with a flexible layout.<\/p>\n

The photography is by Conie Su\u00e1rez<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Project credits:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Architects:<\/strong> Daniel Villanueva, Miguel Valverde
Civil works:<\/strong> MAQTE Company, Bramah Developments<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mexican studio V Taller has completed a residential complex in Tulum, Mexico that features a series of vaulted…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":431925,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3939],"tags":[20842,4021,4020,4022,77,6333,2132,137486,17022,126129,126130,56657,16,15,146895,128115],"class_list":{"0":"post-431924","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-apartments","9":"tag-arts","10":"tag-arts-and-design","11":"tag-design","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-housing","14":"tag-mexico","15":"tag-pink","16":"tag-residential-architecture-and-interiors","17":"tag-sectionall","18":"tag-sectionarchitecture","19":"tag-tulum","20":"tag-uk","21":"tag-united-kingdom","22":"tag-v-taller","23":"tag-vaulted-ceilings"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115221384354635984","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=431924"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431924\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/431925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=431924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=431924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=431924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}