Auberge Etéreo Resort Plans to Protect Local Ecosystems

In the mid-2000s, two hurricanes struck Riviera Maya in Mexico. As a result, the region suffered a tough recovery. After the beauty of the area was restored, Auberge Resorts set out to create luxury boutique hotel Etéreo to celebrate the region’s history and rich Mayan culture.

EDSA, a renowned landscape architecture firm, partnered with the hotel for a project focusing on developing the exterior and landscape elements of the resort. Although the project faced some challenges in the beginning, it is now an example of a modern-day design staying true to its region’s culture.

One of the challenges EDSA faced was location. Developing the hotel within the mangrove forest brought difficulties and the company utilized narrow pathways to best protect the surrounding environment. EDSA used this concept to embrace the idea the hotel could appear as light buildings floating within the forest. The team built a light network of boardwalks connecting Etéreo’s main building to the guestrooms and other amenities. EDSA designed the layout to bring people over the preserved land and directly to the beach. Guests will still be able to admire mangroves up close within the boardwalk network.

The indigenous Mayan culture inspired EDSA, dedicating the design concept of the property to the discovery of floating ruins within the original mangroves. Modern-day interpretations of the Mayan pyramids and minimalistic geometry of public spaces created the design of Etéreo. The arrival area replicates the traditional Mayan architecture with its stacked walls and boldly textured materials.