Mexican practice PPAA has designed Casa Octavia, a boutique hotel in Mexico City that is based around the eponymous fashion brand.
A facade of slim wooden lattices covers the hotel s concrete and glass exterior, shading the interiors from harsh sunlight and creating a delicate pattern of shadows.
Wooden lattices shade the hotel s exterior
The hotel and its minimalist interiors are designed to be an extension of the clothes offered by Octavia. After a long conversation about what Octavia is, we came to the conclusion that a clothing brand nowadays is not only about the product they sell, but more about a lifestyle and a way to live, studio founder Pablo Pérez Palacios told Dezeen.
Executive chef Gabe Erales out at highly regarded Comedor
Austin 360
One of the city s best restaurants is going through some changes at the top. Modern fine dining restaurant Comedor has severed ties with its executive chef Gabe Erales.
Erales helped guide the downtown restaurant operated by partners William Ball and chef Philip Speer to a spot among the elite restaurants in Austin, with the dazzling modern Mexican restaurant landing in the Top 10 of last year s Austin360 Dining Guide. Esquire magazine also included Comedor in its list of Best Nest New Restaurants in the country last year.
Erales s menu has drawn praise for its thoughtful flavor building, like a double cut pork chop with manchamanteles mole and a halibut dish enlivened with complex mole verde, as well as its elegant plating, as seen in a scallop crudo with tepache broth.