The case of Casa Pani – A Perfect blend of Modernist Sensibility and Old Charm

“When I’m working on a problem, I never think about its beauty, I just think about how to solve the problem, but when I finish it, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it’s wrong.”
Richard Buckminster Fuller

Photo Courtesy: Honour Mario Pani on casapani.com

Whenever I see an old heritage building getting demolished, my heart sinks!

I begin to think of the people who have spent their whole lives in those spaces. They must have shared their laughter and tears in the comfort of their homes. Tearing it down must feel like a part of their memory is being taken away from them. Devastating, isn’t it?

I believe something similar must have happened to Miggi, Yola and Marie.

There was one such old building in Mexico that was going to get knocked down. It was a private single-family house designed by modernist architect Mario Pani in 1962. The beauty of this house was in its Mexican history. But the destiny of the house was about to change!

Feeling what I felt, Architect Miggi Hood with Yola Jimenez, and their friend Marie Cazalaa found a video of this house and decided to buy this amazing piece of architecture before it went under the axe!

What were they going to do with it?

In an interview with Monica Khemsurov featured in Sight Unseen, Miggi Hood had said that he wanted to preserve the essence of the place as a piece of Mexican design history. Every other building in the neighbourhood was being destroyed, and new condos were going up; nothing was protected in Mexico, which made him renovate this masterpiece. And that’s how Casa Pani was created!

How does Casa Pani look like today?

Casa Pani, the brainchild of three friends, is an example of timelessness. This boutique property, in all its essence, has been now restored and expanded to offer six generous guest accommodations, reception rooms, rooftop terraces, a pool, and courtyard patios.

This Mexican Modernist Masterpiece is a homage to its architect – Mario Pani. He was a real innovator and a modernist who used a lot of transparencies such as a glass block roof that invited wonderful skylight into the house. His architecture focused on enhancing people’s quality of life.

The trio incorporated the local elements to preserve the original beauty of the house. Many of the original architectural details, like the chunky stone floors, porthole windows, and the curving staircase, are still intact while the new elements added to the house are inspired by the spirit of Pani’s work.

They decorated the house just like an artist painting on a canvas. Right from furniture to bedside lamps, Miggi hood and his friends put up everything together to make Casa Pani look more like home than just a boutique hotel!

The thing of beauty

Casa Pani went from daydream to reality in just eight months during the Pandemic. When it was open for visitors, its unique and inspiring design gathers people from all walks of life and it’s often fully booked with photographers, artists, and other creatives.

Richard Fuller’s quote indeed turned out to be true. The problem was resolved, my heart saved, the heritage structure restored and a piece of beauty recreated!