We often walk past a tunnel construction site and notice the large concrete pipes used to build it, but we would never have imagined that they could inspire the creation of a hotel, as is the case with the Tubohotel.
In Tepoztlan, less than an hour outside Mexico City, a row of recycled concrete pipes has been converted into an affordable, minimalist and intriguing hotel, designed by T3arc.
Just think how much quicker and cheaper such a structure can prove to be, while also allowing the guests in the “rooms” to enjoy the beauty of the natural landscape surrounding the Tubohotel!
As ArchDaily reports, the idea was inspired by the Das ParkHotel by architect Andreas Strauss (2005). At the Tubohotel, however, the use of glass and the comfort achieved inside the rooms make the spaces far more welcoming.
The project took only 3 months to build, and the Tubohotel has been operating since 2010, targeting low-budget travellers (a room costs around $43 a night).
The rooms are arranged horizontally across the site, and in some places stacked in a pyramid. The upper pipe-rooms are reached by separate staircases.
Each room has a queen-size bed and curtains that cover the glazed surfaces when desired. However, the rooms have no bathroom of their own, nor is there a shared one.
The hotel has 2 restroom blocks with private bathrooms and toilets, which can be used individually by each guest.
Photos: Luis Gordoa & Tubohotel
Text: Natasa Lianopoulou
