Rugged walls, domed ceilings and reflective surfaces feature in this underground lair that was designed by Mexican studio Amezcua for an existing 1960s residence on a hill.

The project, called Photocatalytic Cave, was built under a house just west of Mexico City, in a hilly area where it is common to find caves dug for the extraction of sand. The home belongs to a co-owner of the real estate company MM, who desired an underground space where he could host parties or spend time alone.
Local studio Amezcua set out to create a "habitable, enduring and mutable" space that worked in concert with the client's above-ground residence.
The house was designed a half-century ago by postmodern architect Manuel Rocha Díaz in collaboration with his client, sculptor Ernesto Paulsen. The residence features a large, convex ceiling that is lined with thousands of pieces of oak.
For the design of the subterranean space, Amezcua drew upon the home's vocabulary, along with the upscale apartments built by MM in Mexico City. The architects also considered the use of caves by early humans.
"It is there, in the cave, where we find the first refuge of man in history, characterised by being a place with very little light, limited ventilation and high humidity," the team said in a project description. "At the same time, it was a safe place ? a naturally fortified refuge where a man can isolate himself from the world, be protected from the weather and socialise in tranquili...