In the Realm of the Senses
A massive snake rising from a pocket of oak trees and draped in thousands of kaleidoscopic beads. Is this a dream? An acid trip? No, you’ve just arrived at Nido de Quetzalcoatl, a twisting, technicolor cement-and-mosaic clad structure inside a private park in an industrial town on the northwestern fringe of Mexico City. An homage to an ancient feathered Aztec bird-serpent, and designed by Mexican architect Javier Senosiain in 1988, here, you’ll also find ten private apartments and a secret sculpture garden.
A free-flowing naturalist sanctuary, you’ve come to a place where playful imagination takes center stage. It’s also a place where you’ll uncover obvious nods to organic-architecture masters like Catalan-born Antoni Gaudi, Mexican native Juan O'Gorman and American bred Frank Lloyd Wright. You’ll also quickly learn, Senosiain was fond of Luis Barragán, known to favor more contemporary, linear abodes. “Most people don’t see the connection to Barragán,” Senosiain said, “but I had the good fortune to know him, and to visit his house and talk with him a number of times, and I believe there are many connections with his work — the enormous influence of nature, color, and craft.”
Equal parts Alice in Wonderland, The Flintstones and The Jetsons, one of the curved, pod-like structures, called Casa Organica, is a modular house covered in grass and exotic plants. Inspired by a peanut shell, a Hobbits-style door opens to reveal a narrow carpet-lined corridor which gives away to a labyrinth of rooms dotted with skylights and subterranean, cave-like lounges. Inside, a light-filled living room wraps around Mexican artist Pedro Friedberg’s 14-karat-gold hand chair and a massive wooden table that resembles a tree trunk.
Next to Casa Orgánica –and resembling a whale– is Ballena Mexicana which connects by series of tunnels to El Tiburon (known as the shark) and touting a giant fin. There’s also Nautilus, which mimics a snail and features a wall of rainbow stained-glass windows alongside a series of skylights that frame the sky. You won’t find hard edges inside Senosiain’s slightly-surrealist wonderland. “The right angle is an invention of man,” he said. “A space’s curves are more enjoyable, more human and that's what I'm looking for.
Next to Casa Orgánica –and resembling a whale– is Ballena Mexicana which connects by series of tunnels to El Tiburon (known as the shark) and touting a giant fin. There’s also Nautilus, which mimics a snail and features a wall of rainbow stained-glass windows alongside a series of skylights that frame the sky. You won’t find hard edges inside Senosiain’s slightly-surrealist wonderland. “The right angle is an invention of man,” he said. “A space’s curves are more enjoyable, more human and that's what I'm looking for.
A free-flowing naturalist sanctuary, you’ve come to a place where playful imagination takes center stage. It’s also a place where you’ll uncover obvious nods to organic-architecture masters like Catalan-born Antoni Gaudi, Mexican native Juan O'Gorman and American bred Frank Lloyd Wright. You’ll also quickly learn, Senosiain was fond of Luis Barragán, known to favor more contemporary, linear abodes. “Most people don’t see the connection to Barragán,” Senosiain said, “but I had the good fortune to know him, and to visit his house and talk with him a number of times, and I believe there are many connections with his work — the enormous influence of nature, color, and craft.”
Senosiain’s otherworldly complex also has a minimal environmental impact— there’s a greenhouse, an on-site vegetable garden for residents and small reflective lakes, complete with floating chairs. The surrounding woods are hydrated with collected rainwater. There’s an immediate idea of blurred lines between the inside and outside world —in fact, you’ll feel you’re cradling both. Inspired by igloos and caves, Senosiaian said he was also inspired by being inside a mother’s womb and of course, the outdoor world. Remember: “There are hardly any straight lines in nature,” Senosiaian said.
Bread, fruit & coffee included. You can have access to the gardens all day and to the park from 9am to 5pm. Because we are surrounded by woods, the temperature is lower than in the city. We recommend comfortable shoes and a jacket.
