MEDEZA designs canyon entrance in los cabos, mexico

 

In the arid landscapes of Los Cabos in Baja California Sur, Mexico, a private family club finds its striking arrival point in Canyon Entrance, a pavilion that is both a threshold and a statement. Conceived as a radial composition, this desertic structure is the work of MEDEZA (Francisco Parra) and CDQ (Centro Diseño Querencia), with collaborators Mauricio Rios, Gerardo Aguero & Vanessa Ramirez. The design orchestrates a sensory journey, compressing space to heighten anticipation before releasing visitors into the openness of a sculpted desert garden. The architecture, drawing from brutalist desert aesthetics, breathes with the environment through its voids, pigments, and the dramatic interplay of light and shadow.

canyon entrance 4
image by Cesar Belio CBSTD (main image also)

 

 

desert architecture oriented as sundial

 

The pavilion’s form is anchored by two monumental, pigmented concrete walls. These points hold a 17-meter radial and sloped concrete slab, from which 41 ribbed beams radiate outward. This composition evokes the spokes of a silent sundial, creating a balanced structure that is both grounded and ethereal. The deliberate balance of mass and openness is a hallmark of the design, celebrating the raw honesty of materials and allowing architecture to exist in a direct dialogue with the sun.

canyon entrance 3
image by Cesar Belio CBSTD

 

 

Canyon Entrance is a meticulously crafted desert landmark. The project is the result of a precise collaboration between Francisco Parra, chief architect of MEDEZA, and the Querencia Design Center, who oversaw both the design and its flawless execution. This synergy allowed for a design that is not only visually compelling but also deeply integrated into its environment, marking a new standard for a brutalist desert architecture that is both timeless and responsive to its unique context.

canyon entrance 5
image by Cesar Belio CBSTD