44 DIGS.NET
| 3.10.23
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realized in details that reflect Yucatecan
culture. This includes many component
elements that were handcrafted by
local artisans exclusively for this project,
Sánchez points out. Pasta floors replicated
with the original design of the house. A
characteristic color palette evoking the
water element vital to this area of Mexico.
Wall coverings made with local materials
with ancestral construction technique still
used today. Poetic, warm, the hotel is a
love letter to traditional Yucatecan heritage,
combined with the conveniences of the
current era—something the culture is also
good at producing.
Charged with leading the restoration
of the building, González utilized
"painstaking processes to enhance the
original and most emblematic features of
the structure, such as the high ceilings,
cornices, Corinthian-style columns, richly
ornamented capitals, ceiling moldings,
and cement tile floors," says Sánchez.
"The symmetry of the façade, with its three
arches, was maintained, although only
the central one functions as an entrance
for guests and visitors. The ironwork and
joinery of the doors and windows was also
with regional materials that showcase the
multicultural character that defines Mérida,"
says the architect.
That "Cigno is a hotel with a unique soul,"
as described by Raúl Sánchez, CEO of
Cigno Hotels, is a fate that was sealed from
the start. From the moment this project was
conceived, Sanchez notes, every effort
was made to preserve the historical details
of the century-old structure, and in turn,
its palpable sense of place, beautifully
