Casa Wabi / Álvaro Siza

Architects: Álvaro Siza
Photographs: João Morgado
Municipality: Puerto Escondido
Country: Mexico

Casa Wabi Ceramics Pavilion, designed by Álvaro Siza in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, is an open-air space that promotes Oaxaca’s traditional clay techniques for local children and artists. Commissioned by Bosco Sodi, the pavilion is enclosed by a curved, eight-meter brick wall and an L-shaped barrier with storage, all under a thatched palapa roof for natural ventilation. A central concrete workspace with shelving, nearby showers, toilets, and a 22-meter-tall chimney by Alberto Kalach complete the pavilion, integrating local materials with architectural elegance. The Casa Wabi site also includes works by Kengo Kuma and Gabinete de Arquitectura.

A curved brick wall surrounds the open-air ceramics pavilion that Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza designed as part of the Casa Wabi artist retreat in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. The Pritzker Prize-winning architect was commissioned by Casa Wabi Foundation founder Bosco Sodi to design the pavilion as a space where local children can learn Oaxaca’s traditional clay techniques. Furthermore, the pavilion serves as a workspace for artists in residence at Casa Wabi.

Casa Wabi stated, “The pavilion is intended to host workshops that introduce new generations to the aesthetic and artistic uses of regional materials.” They added, “Our hope is that this program will soon contribute to both the economic and cultural revival of Oaxaca coast’s traditional clay practices.”

The ceramics pavilion features a large thatched roof and concrete flooring but is otherwise open-air, without walls. Instead, its sandy surroundings are bordered by a curved brick wall eight meters in diameter and an L-shaped barrier, which includes rooms designated for storing pottery tools and raw clay.

The pavilion’s thatched roof is crafted from dried palm branches on a wooden frame, using a traditional construction style in the region known as Palapa. This roofing technique is also featured in Casa Wabi’s main house and art center, which was designed by Japanese architect and Pritzker Prize laureate Tadao Ando in 2016, as well as in the nearby Monte Uzulu Hotel, located about an hour’s drive from the site.

Casa Wabi highlighted that “two of the most common local techniques and materials were fundamental to the pavilion’s design and construction.” They noted that “the palm palapa serves as both the roof and ventilation system for the central module and fully open main work area,” integrating traditional practices into the structure.

The ceramics area includes a large concrete table at its center and a concrete washbasin along one side, with wooden shelving for storing finished ceramic pieces. Nearby, a smaller structure with a thatched roof houses two toilets, enclosed by walls in a horseshoe shape, adding functional support to the workspace.

Siza’s pavilion is complemented by outdoor showers, an existing outdoor oven, and a variety of trees and shrubs leading to a 22-meter-tall chimney used for firing ceramics. Designed by Mexican artist Alberto Kalach, this chimney is constructed from locally sourced bricks made of regional clay, integrating local materials into the pavilion’s functional landscape. Several renowned architects and studios have contributed to the Casa Wabi complex. These include the Paraguayan studio Gabinete de Arquitectura, which designed a composting pavilion, and Kengo Kuma, who added a blackened-wood chicken coop, each structure bringing unique cultural and functional value to the retreat.