Architecture studio Ambrosi Etchegaray drew upon the pared-back design ethos of the Shakers to create the minimal rooms within this hotel in Mexico City.
The Círculo Mexicano hotel is located downtown of Mexico City, taking over a 19th-century building that previously accommodated private residences.
The hotel occupies a 19th-century building
Ambrosi Etchegaray, which is led by architects Jorge Ambrosi and Gabriela Etchegaray, undertook the task of transforming it into a more hospitable space.
The studio has left behind some time-worn elements that hint at how long the building has been around ? for example, the dramatic zigzag staircase that links together all the levels of the hotel backs onto a wall of crumbling bricks.
A zigzag staircase links together the hotel's different floors However in the 25 bedrooms, which are spread across the building's second and third floors, the studio has taken a much more contemporary, minimal approach.

A key point of reference was the style of the Shakers: a Christian sect founded in 1747 that has become known for their ascetic lifestyles and equally austere approach to designing their living quarters and furniture, which were completely devoid of ornamentation.
"Originally all the design process was inspired by an ecclesiastical aesthetics," Ambrosi told Dezeen. "With that premise, we imagined an architecture free of ornament, where the correct use of simple materials enhances the quality of the space."
Rooms in th...