Mexican architecture firm RootStudio has completed a concrete hotel in Oaxaca that was constructed in stages as a "habitable sculpture".

Located on the outskirts of Oaxaca, Hotel Flavia was commissioned in stages based and grew on a steep site with dramatic views of the nearby mountain range.

"A client asked us for a habitable object," said RootStudio, led by João Boto Caiero and Fulvio Capurso.

"As we progressed with the project, it was done without plans because it was done on the ground."

"It was not a project made or developed on a computer program. The hotel was designed as its construction progressed,"

"As the dimension grew, the sculpture grew larger and in the end, it became a public place, a hotel and restaurant," it added.

The building is organized around a central courtyard filled with endemic vegetation selected by landscape architect Luis Zárate.

This feature draws inspiration from Oaxaca's courtyard houses and is intended as a focal point for the hotel's communal areas.

Visitors enter from the top level and make their way down towards the hotel's rooms and amenities.

"When you enter from the street it is a single floor and as you go down you have four levels," said RootStudio.

"You live different experiences within the same building," the studio added.

The building's concrete exterior features selectively placed punched openings, which ensures that views are framed according to the interior layout.

"The project represents an experience by discovering each space that makes up the place," said RootStudio.

The interiors were designed with rich, textured materials, including a veined marble floor running throughout the communal spaces, dark woodwork, and antique leather furniture.

The main communal space is conceived as a "living room", which opens out onto the courtyard. In addition to this carefully landscaped space, visitors can also enjoy a rooftop deck and a pool that runs the length of the building.

Each of the rooms features a slightly different design. RootStudio collaborated with several artists for the interiors, including Sabino Guisu, Adán Paredes, and Luis Zarate.

"As the interior spaces progressed, different artists were invited to make a piece for each area of the hotel," said RootStudio.

Other boutique hotel projects in Mexico include an all-concrete structure by architect Ludwig Godefroy that draws cues from Oaxacan temples and a pink courtyard building in San Miguel de Allende by Ian Pablo Amores.

The photography is by Lizzet Ortiz and Deslior.

Project credits:

Architecture studio: RootStudio
Principal architect: Joao Boto Caeiro
Collaborators: Artist Adan Paredes. Artist Luis Zárate. Artist Sabino Guisu
Landscape: Artist Luis Zárate González
Structural engineer: Ing. Josué Hernández Ruiz
Lighting: RootStudio
Construction: RootStudio