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In This Mexico City home, the Staircase Is a Spectacle

Mexican firm ASP Arquitectura Sergio Portillo have recently been awarded the Architecture Master Prize 2019 in the category of Apartment Interiors for their project, PH Cortés. The split-level penthouse in Mexico City features one central visual element – the staircase – which employs wood and concrete to create a visual phenomenon and a delight for the senses.

Walking through, you feel the warmth of the sunlight, you see the reflections and the distinct vignettes cast by the slatted woods and your body.

The lower floor houses the dining room, living rooms, a wine cellar, a powder room, a kitchen area, a study room, and a master bedroom.

The second floor holds a second bedroom. Each bedroom has its own terrace, bathroom, and dressing room.

The staircase is meant as a transitional element that controls the amount of natural light that enters the room while also acting as a facade to block visual access to the service quarters behind it. The staircase was built in RHS and encased with MDF and lacquered wood.

Keshia grew up in Singapore and moved to the U.S. to attend Dartmouth College. When she was living abroad after graduation, a chance enrollment at the Architectural Association Visiting School led to her becoming enamored with door schedules and architectural écriture. She's particularly interested in design for aging, rural architecture, and Asian design heritage.