Orchid Pavilion channels Japanese philosophy for blossoming flowers in Puerto Escondido
Orchid Pavilion by CCA Centro de Colaboración Arquitectónica provides fitting shelter for flower conservation in Mexico's Casa Wabi

Orchid Pavilion – a new piece of timber architecture dedicated to the conservation of the eponymous flower in the Oaxaca region of Mexico – is set against a fittingly idyllic backdrop of blue skies and lush foliage. The structure, which has just been inaugurated at Puerto Escondido's Casa Wabi Foundation, was designed by Mexico City's Bernardo Quinzaños and his team at CCA Centro de Colaboración Arquitectónica.
Orchid Pavilion: a thoughtful timber pavilion for flower conservation
The Orchid Pavilion is an exciting addition to the non-profit art and community organisation campus' rich and growing collection of architecture pavilions and buildings – from Tadao Ando's first commissions for the foundation’s founder, artist Bosco Sodi, to later additions such as Kengo Kuma's chicken coop.
'As we approached the design of the Orchid Pavilion at Casa Wabi, our research pointed toward some clear technical features, components, and facts. It became evident that in order to grow, reproduce, and collect orchids, we needed to create the right environment for them to thrive: humid, partially shaded, and well-ventilated,' the architects write.
Responding to these needs, the studio crafted a structure that is light and permeable, yet provides shade and protection for the delicate flowers.
The Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, a belief that 'beauty and harmony are found in simplicity, imperfection, and unconventionality', influences the entire foundation's approach, and this, as well as the Japanese concept of Ikigai (生き甲斐, ‘a reason for being'), was also a key driver here.
Quinzaños and his team worked with local artisans and craftspeople to create a sustainable pavilion that would reflect these values not only through its physical presence – its respect towards the environment, its lightness and handmade, timber nature – but also by providing a purpose-built home for both plants and people working to preserve them.
'When you enter the pavilion, you breathe in the humidity, hear the gentle drops falling, feel the crossing winds, and hopefully, you will be able to remember who you are, what your reason for being is. What is your Ikigai,' the architects write.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Natural diamonds bring zing to Copenhagen cool in Elhanati’s new jewellery
Elhanati has collaborated with Botswanamark on three mystically inspired new pieces
By Hannah Silver Published
-
‘Dr Tetris’ on the biggest ever iteration of the puzzle in London
Tetris comes to 360-degree, 23,000 sq ft, 16k LED screens in London; Craig McLean speaks to Henk Rogers, the man who’s kept the game alive
By Craig McLean Published
-
Hot news: Claridge’s Bakery is set to open this summer
Claridge’s, London’s grand dame of hotels, announces the opening of its very own bakery, led by British baker Richard Hart
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Enjoy whale watching from this east coast villa in Mexico, a contemporary oceanside gem
East coast villa Casa Tupika in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, is designed by architecture studio Rzero to be in harmony with its coastal and tropical context
By Tianna Williams Published
-
2025 Serpentine Pavilion: this year's architect, Marina Tabassum, explains her design
The 2025 Serpentine Pavilion design by Marina Tabassum is unveiled; the Bangladeshi architect talks to us about the commission, vision, and the notion of time
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Mexico's long-lived football club Atlas FC unveils its new grounds
Sordo Madaleno designs a new home for Atlas FC; welcome to Academia Atlas, including six professional football fields, clubhouses, applied sport science facilities and administrative offices
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Discover Casa Roja, a red spatial exploration of a house in Mexico
Casa Roja, a red house in Mexico by architect Angel Garcia, is a spatial exploration of indoor and outdoor relationships with a deeply site-specific approach
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
HW Studio’s Casa Emma transforms a humble terrace house into a realm of light and space
The living spaces in HW Studio’s Casa Emma, a new one-bedroom house in Morelia, Mexico, appear to have been carved from a solid structure
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
An Oaxacan retreat offers a new take on the Mexican region's architecture
This Oaxacan retreat, Casa Caimán by Mexican practice Bloqe Arquitectura, is a dreamy beachside complex on the Pacific coast
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Take a plunge at Brandílera House on the Mexican Pacific Coast
Brandílera House by Manuel Cervantes Estudio is a Mexican Pacific Coast retreat making the most of its views and green site
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Step inside Quinto Sol house, a verdant oasis in Mexico's Pacific Coast
Quinto Sol house by architect Cristina Grappin blends indoors and outdoors in a masterful architectural composition in the Mexican countryside
By Ellie Stathaki Published