Behind the design of Soho House Mexico City

We’ll soon be arriving in the heart of Colonia Juárez to open the first-ever Latin American Soho House in Mexico City. As always, a new House comes with a lot of history, and our Mexican casa is rich in culture and heritage. It’s built in a former private residence previously owned by General Juan Prim, who commanded the Spanish expeditionary army in Mexico and was a sympathizer with the Mexican Liberal cause. The building speaks to traditional French influences and baroque architecture, while the interior is designed in a Mexican style with a modern Soho House touch. 

Carefully created with the help of many local artisans and designers, the casa has three bars (naturally one is a tequila bar), an underground vinyl listening room and an outside courtyard. The grounds surround an outdoor pool for those hot Mexican summers, and the House is filled with locally made custom furniture with plenty of plants. 

With so much to consider, we caught up with Danielle Vourlas, Director of Soho House Design for the Americas, and Yigit Kale, Soho House Principal Architect, to find out all about the design for the new Latin American club and what we can look forward to when it opens.

What can we expect to see at Soho House Mexico City?
‘The House is made up of three main buildings: the existing casa and annexe, and a new pool house with a bar and kitchen. The casa will feature a main bar, restaurant, club spaces and bedrooms. And in the annexe, you’ll find a tequila bar.’

What was the main challenge in terms of the design?
‘Preserving the historic character of the existing casa was significant for us. With our new additions, such as the pool house – which embraces the romanticism of European greenhouses – we wanted to work in harmony with existing buildings and create a beautiful narrative about a 19th-century mansion. The main challenge was to link the existing and new buildings seamlessly for our members’ experience, which we achieved by connecting all the support spaces underground.’

What original features in the building are remaining?
‘All of the historic details such as existing parquet flooring, door, window and ceiling trims, fireplaces, and frescoes. We have been through an extensive exercise of uncovering the existing wood elements that had layers of different finishes during different periods of ownership.’