From News Desk
Portal 62 is a 70-square-meter home located in Mérida’s historic centre. What began as a standard renovation evolved into an architectural discovery after a sealed well and buried stairway revealed the presence of a natural cavern beneath the property. This unexpected finding redefined the project’s scope, resulting in a residence shaped not by plan alone, but by what lay underground.
The intervention preserves one original bay of the house, which now contains the living, dining and kitchenette areas. A new volume was added, containing two bedrooms – one elevated, one sunken. The construction stops at the edge of the cavern, using the subterranean formation itself as a natural boundary. This limit determined the home’s overall scale, positioning and sequence.
Circulation plays a central role in the experience of Portal 62. A corridor narrows between volumes, compressing before opening into a rear patio that includes a pool framed by a rammed-earth wall made by MORO Taller de Arquitectura. The wall functions as a visual filter, leading the eye toward a stairway that descends into the lower level, where the cave and an artificial tub await.
The tub was strategically placed below the restored well shaft, allowing daylight to pour down into the space and reflect on the water. This quiet, humid environment offers a pause in the spatial narrative—a moment of stillness before entering the cavern itself.
All materials were chosen in close relationship to the site. Exterior walls are rendered with a patchwork of local earth, giving the architecture a deep terracotta tone. Rammed-earth walls, solid cedar furniture and minimal finishes establish a cohesive language throughout the house. Nothing is ornamental, and nothing distracts from the elemental experience of the site.
Global Perspectives... 