- Outdoor & travel
LAMARTINE is a new accommodation located in Mexico City, designed by Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados (PPAA) in 2025. Situated on a narrow-front lot in one of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods, the project explores the relationship between natural light, spatial efficiency and comfort, transforming a small urban site into a beautiful modern accommodation.
Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados (PPAA), founded in 2018 by renowned architect Pablo Pérez Palacios, is an independent design studio dedicated to architecture, art, planning, and urban and interior design. Their designs have been acknowledged by multiple architecture awards such as Quito Pan-American Biennial and Architizer. PPAA treats empty spaces as invitations for new opportunities and projects. 
With a timeless façade that blends restraint and sophistication, LAMARTINE positions itself as a discreet yet powerful landmark within the urban fabric of Polanco
LAMARTINE is a boutique hotel comprising ten carefully designed rooms, each emphasizing functionality, elegance, and spatial sensitivity, allowing the architecture to feel both intimate and refined. The central challenge of this project, maximizing natural light within a limited space, was solved through a creative solution. A skylight crowning the building works together with a metal-clad staircase, channeling daylight deep into the interior. This element serves not only as a solution for lighting, but also as a core element of this project. By installing a semi-transparent metal mesh to each room with a balcony, LAMARTINE combines openness and privacy. This allows guests to be concealed from the outside while still being able to enjoy an unobstructed view from the balcony. This mesh also helps control the temperature in the rooms that face direct sunlight.
Both the exterior as the interior of this accommodation contain fairly neutral colors like beige and sand. LAMARTINE combines these neutral colors with warm wooden chairs and brown accents in the rooms. This combination of colors provides the accommodation with a very rustic and calm energy, allowing the guests to relax completely. The floors are made from grey stone which aligns with the general natural atmosphere of this project. LAMARTINE also prioritizes green areas even in the urban city. A combination of a rainwater harvesting system and open garden spaces enhances the natural atmosphere, while also bringing an extra pop of color into the hotel. 
With all these design elements in mind, LAMARTINE offers more than just a comfortable place to sleep. Both the innovative technology as the metal mesh show that the structure has been designed carefully and with consideration. Neutral tones, warm accents, and natural materials, complimented by their green spaces, create a calm environment that invites guests to relax and enjoy a peaceful holiday.
Photography by Fabian Martinez
Text by Ellen De Meyer