Set against the vivid landscape of Cabo San Lucas, the Cabo Corazón Hotel by Rábago Architects represents a deliberate shift in how hospitality architecture can evolve within the constraints of existing urban infrastructure. The original complex, constructed in 2010, comprised two isolated towers that lacked integration with one another or the surrounding coastal setting. Rather than demolishing and rebuilding, the intervention seeks to reclaim and rearticulate the architectural narrative through a substantial new insertion: Torre Corazón.
Cabo Corazón Hotel Technical Information
- Architects1-7: Rábago Architects
- Location: Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico
- Area: 120,000 m2 | 1,291,669 Sq. Ft.
- Project Year: 2010 – 2024
- Photographs: © Oscar Hernandez
The renovation of Cabo Corazón Hotel exemplifies how contemporary architecture can revitalize existing structures without resorting to total demolition.
– Arnoldo Rábago
Cabo Corazón Hotel Photographs
Reconfiguring Coastal Hospitality: Design Intent and Urban Integration
This angular 120,000 m² volume serves as both programmatic spine and spatial reconciler. It reframes the original towers not as obsolete remnants but as architectural elements to be recontextualized. Rather than erasing history, the project anchors its design intent in architectural memory, fostering continuity within transformation. Torre Corazón is a decisive architectural gesture that mediates between old and new, integrating disconnected parts into a unified, legible whole. The intervention reflects a broader strategy, responding to the growth of tourism in Los Cabos while resisting conventional resort development’s extractive, tabula rasa tendencies.
Spatial Composition and Programmatic Reorganization
The intervention’s heart lies in a careful reworking of programmatic and spatial relationships. Torre Corazón introduces a wide range of new uses, including a convention center, restaurant, rooftop bar, terraces, guest rooms, and pool lounge, configured not as isolated amenities but as part of an interdependent architectural system.
Circulation is restructured by introducing a central atrium, which organizes internal flows and visually anchors the building. Its triangular plan geometry finds formal resonance throughout the project, notably in the repetition of inclined planes and low walls that establish a consistent spatial language. This atrium facilitates horizontal and vertical connectivity, effectively weaving together public, semi-public, and private domains.
The sculptural staircase, unfolding toward the atrium, emerges as a key spatial feature, at once a circulation route and architectural expression. It frames the atrium’s vertical void and visually connects various levels, echoing the horizontal bands that define the building’s massing. The result is a fluid choreography of spaces that moves away from the compartmentalized logic of the original design.
At the ground level, the lobby extends into a restaurant, pool bar, and outdoor terraces, all connected to the beach club. This vital programmatic anchor strengthens the project’s relationship with the oceanfront. The design balances openness and containment, offering moments of permeability while framing views toward “El Arco” and the Sea of Cortez.
Cabo Corazón Hotel Materiality and Climatic Responsiveness
A defining feature of the intervention is its material discipline. The consistent use of white concrete, both inside and out, is a strategic response to the climatic conditions of Baja California Sur. Its high albedo reduces solar gain, enhancing thermal comfort without reliance on excessive mechanical systems. The material also echoes the light and texture of the surrounding desert context while asserting a minimalist architectural language.
The use of marble flooring across indoor and outdoor areas reinforces the tactile continuity of the design, bridging the interior with the white sand beaches that define the local landscape. In the upper guest room levels, tropical wood furnishings introduce warmth, texture, and a sense of groundedness, softening the starkness of the concrete envelope and creating an atmosphere of tactile contrast.
The rooftop, meanwhile, exemplifies a hybrid architectural vocabulary: wood decking, an infinity pool, and a palapa-like canopy merge traditional materials with contemporary detailing. These choices are not merely aesthetic; they operate as climatic devices, mediating sun exposure while facilitating natural ventilation and social occupation.
Cabo Corazón Hotel Plans
Cabo Corazón Hotel Image Gallery
About Rábago Architects
Rábago Architects is a Guadalajara-based architecture studio founded and directed by Arnoldo Rábago, known for its thoughtful integration of contemporary design with cultural and environmental sensitivity. The firm’s work spans hospitality, residential, and mixed-use projects across Mexico and internationally, focusing on adaptive reuse, spatial clarity, and material honesty. Rábago’s approach often draws inspiration from regional contexts, as seen in the Cabo Corazón Hotel, where nautical forms and passive climatic strategies are employed to create rooted and forward-looking architecture. Educated at the AA School in London and with professional experience at Zaha Hadid Architects, Rábago brings a global perspective to local narratives, crafting spaces that resonate with memory and innovation.
Credits and Additional Notes
Design Leader: Arnoldo Rábago
Structural Engineering: Consultores en Ingeniería Estructural S.A. de C.V.
General Engineering: Cautín / Sergein
Interior Design: Amass & G / Cachet Interior Design
Framing Systems: Alumétrica
Acoustics: Saad Acústica
Lighting Design: Lighting & Living Onx
