Architectural firm JSa builds on Mexico City's rich heritage of experimental architecture + innovation in the recently completed Hotel Volga.

Through its evolution as the Central American country?s capital and an ever-scrappy microcosm of different cultures ? the lasting impact of the many polymathic radical thinkers and creatives that have passed through its vast sprawl at one point or another ? Mexico City has long been a test bed for experimental architecture. The lack of regulation has long made the metropolis a particularly auspicious canvas of sorts for maverick talents to play with volume, material, and other characteristics. One has only to think of the prolific and distinctive output of influential architects like Juan O?Gorman, Luis Barragán, and Felix Candela. Building on this heritage of innovation is the recently completed Hotel Volga. Situated in central neighborhood Cuauhtémoc, the ?urban cenote? destination was designed by up-and-coming firm JSa with a monumental U-shaped atrium at its core, clad in a defining iron screen.
?The location of the hotel ? a narrow street surrounded by tall service buildings that would deprive any view ? suggested an introspective building,? says firm co-principal Javier Sánchez. This central feature extends from basement to rooftop skylight, turning the open-air ground floor into a hub. The property?s 49 standard and 33 deluxe guest rooms radiate around this interior shaft. The iron screens can be open allowing for ...