Blessed with monolithic majesty, the one-of-a-kind holiday home Casa Zicatela by architect Ludwig Godefroy exists as a brutalist kingdom in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. With echoes of the country’s Aztec temples in its tight, blocky formation, the concrete structure offers a cool, minimal sanctuary to its new owner, a Mexico City resident looking for a seaside escape.
The residence retains a location on a hilltop spot between Zicatela beach and the mountains. Despite its picturesque position, the building is an insular retreat, concerned with tranquillity, its robust concrete shell creating a world of privacy within its boundary walls. Described by the architect as “a bunker on the outside protecting a Mexican pyramid on the inside,” the building is a structure of mystique whose complexity is only visible to those who find themselves on the inside.
Photography by Rory Gardiner