Downtown · Mérida, YucatánLU'UM 48
Interior Design
Construction Management
"Luum" in Mayan means earth—a space where the memory of the place breathes between the ancient and the contemporary.
LU'UM 48 is the renovation of a historic house in Mérida's Historic Center, transformed into a restaurant and wine bar featuring signature Yucatecan cuisine. The project is based on a fundamental premise: the existing structure is not an obstacle, but rather the most valuable material in design.
Each bay of the original house was preserved and transformed into a distinct space: the foyer as a threshold, the dining room as a social hub, the bar as a sculptural piece, and the back patio as a verdant respite under the Yucatecan sky.
The material palette responds to the context: Roman stucco in earth tones, reclaimed hydraulic tile floors, dark wood joinery, black ironwork, and backlit onyx. Everything converges in a warm, intimate, and authentically Mérida atmosphere.
The project won the AAI Peninsula 2025 Award in the Restaurants category, recognizing the quality of the integration between historical heritage and contemporary program.
A historic residence intervened with absolute respect for its original spatial configuration, adapting the program without compromising the site's heritage.
Distinct environments: a lobby library, dining room, stone bar, and garden terrace, each defined by its own identity and material expression.
Recipient of the Southeastern Association of Architects and Engineers Award in the Restaurant category, recognizing the seamless integration of heritage and contemporary use.