Kids Club Chablé

When the opportunity arose to create an architectural project on such a site, we immediately understood that every idea had to be subordinate to it—its flora, light, colors, fauna, topography, and climate. We envisioned an elevated ring-shaped suspension bridge that traverses the treetops while connecting the various pavilions of the club. One of the ideas that most excited us was establishing contact with the local flora, feeling the height and lushness of the jungle trees, and stargazing from the pavilions. From that first visit, it was easy to imagine children climbing up and down, running around, and exploring.

Designing each space of the kids’ club, not just respecting the environment but enhancing and magnifying it, was our first inspiration and top priority. After multiple site visits, we chose the cylinder as the geometric shape that would give life and meaning to the design. The gentle curves of a circle, its easy visibility, the welcoming nature of the shape, and the immense possibilities for playing with variations in diameters and heights started to shape the plans. Connecting the cylindrical forms in different ways allowed us to adapt to the terrain while providing privacy and some independence to the various interior spaces.

For the finishes, we used chukum—a mix of resin from the tree of the same name with white cement and limestone—which works very well in humid and warm areas, besides being an iconic finish in Yucatecan tradition.

The main pavilion houses the playroom, game room, gamer zone, and workshop spaces designed in collaboration with Paulina Morán. An amphitheater embraces this pavilion, placing the stage at the center of the club.

A series of independent pavilions demarcate spaces for other experiences. Examples include a lookout for observing the white-tailed deer, a protected species in the area, and a ceremonial maize center designed with Chef Luis Ronzón, showcasing the various types of maize in Mexico through gastronomic workshops using ingredients from the hotel’s ka’anche’ (traditional Mayan gardens).

The architectural design of this center is an abstraction of the cylindrical shape of an ear of corn. We used lattices of clay mosaics to generate cross-ventilation, allowing natural light to penetrate with a certain mysticism.

The landscaping, designed with Maat Handasa, respects the local flora and fauna species. Gravel walkways connect the area with other parts of the hotel, reserving certain spaces for outdoor games inspired by the legends of the aluxes.