Local architecture studio Sordo Madaleno has created a residential block in Mexico informed by Mayan pyramids made of cubic apartments stacked on top of one another.
The Village is located in the northeastern Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and spans 14,885 square metres (160,220 square feet) and reaches 12 metres (129 feet) high across five storeys.
Sordo Madaleno has completed an apartment building in Mexico
Informed by "stepped pyramids of the region's ancient history", the building is made of interconnected cubic volumes, pockmarked with terraces, wooden shutters, glazing and exposed open, structure.
"Our approach to breaking down the overall volume of the building involves setting back terraces at irregular intervals and across different levels," said Sordo Madaleno. Its design was informed by regional Mayan pyramids
"This deliberated design choice enhances the permeability of the essentially rectilinear structure, allowing it to be seamlessly integrated into the surrounding nature. The studied informality of this approach invokes the concept of an overgrown ruin."
The Village's apartments were arranged using four metre by four metre (13 foot by 13 foot) units, with one to four bedrooms available in 80 to 160 square metre areas.
Interconnected cubic volumes create the building's stepped form
The scheme allows for both "rigor" and "flexibility" in the design, according to the team.
"We are continually fascinated by the...