Prize(s) Winners in Hospitality Lighting Design
Lighting Design/Product Company Artec Studio
Lead Designers Jose Cardona and Maurici Ginés
Architecture Company Legorreta + Legorreta / Taller de Arquitectura / LegoRocha
Client Paralelo 19
Photo Credits Rafael Gamo
Completion Date 12/2/2024
Project Location K.M. 7.5 HIGHWAY 200 BARRA DE NAVIDAD, 48898 La Manzanilla, Jal., México
Entry DescriptionLight resides in the Emptiness.
On Mexico’s Pacific coast, within a 3,000-acre reserve where jungle meets the sea, a hotel of 160 rooms and 63 villas faced a delicate challenge: achieving scale without disturbing the balance of nature or the depth of darkness. The response was an architecture that adapts rather than imposes, organized on three levels—public areas at the center, villas on the slopes above, and rooms descending gradually toward the beach.
Lighting was approached as an act of restraint. The aim was not brilliance but a place where shadow takes the lead and light emerges only when essential. By day, architecture softens the intensity of the sun; by night, it contains artificial light, releasing it discreetly through recesses and voids. The façades remain silent, while interiors offer clarity and exterior spaces preserve discretion.
Light inhabits niches, walls, and water, shaping negative space. After dusk, soft glimmers along edges and delicate reflections trace the architecture. Paths are marked by paired ground points, while trees alternate between glow and shadow.
Sustainability ApproachThe project pursued sustainability through precision, efficiency, and respect for the natural reserve. Lighting power density was limited to 7 W/m², balancing performance and conservation while keeping installation costs optimized through efficient LED systems and advanced controls. The design complies with international energy codes and ASHRAE standards, ensuring minimal consumption and strict control of light trespass. Rather than imposing, light merges with darkness, shaping niches, edges, and reflections without disturbing the horizon. This restraint not only reduces carbon footprint but also safeguards the night ecosystem: turtles and other protected species can orient naturally toward the sea without disorientation from artificial glow. Architecture and lighting dissolve into silence and shadow, proving that sustainability is not excess but the art of doing only what is necessary.
