Zeller & Moye, a Berlin-based architecture studio, has transformed a 16th-century ruin in Mérida, Mexico, into the stunning Hotel Sevilla. This boutique hotel blends new brutalist elements with the original colonial-era villa, creating a unique palimpsest effect. The hotel’s 21 rooms, ranging from 21 to 70 square meters, offer views of the palm-filled courtyard and pool area.
The original façade, internal colonnade, and traditional wooden ceiling have been preserved, while contemporary interventions like raw concrete and minimalist modern elements add a touch of modernity. “Our design approach follows the concept of a palimpsest,” say the architects. “Present and past layers coexist next to each other and form one rich entity where one can still identify the interventions from different periods of time.”
The hotel features a bar, two restaurants, a spa, and a pool, all woven into the courtyard’s architectural fabric. The architects drew inspiration from local architecture, craftwork, and materials, combining stone, wood, and concrete with brass, sisal, and leather. “We’ve taken inspiration from local and traditional architecture, craftwork, local materials, and even rituals of the region; and have mixed it with influences of Mexican modernism to reshape the building and to design its furniture,” say the architects.
The hotel’s design includes a new pool, ponds, and regional tropical plants to create barriers between zones. Original textures and surfaces have been preserved, such as stone arches, alongside minimalist modern elements like towering bedheads and a striking spiral staircase.
Image Courtesy: Wallpaper
