Architect Rafael Sama designed the restaurant's tiled entrance to lead diners on a journey from the hotel into another world. Each of the 11,000 tiles was handmade to the architect's specifications in the state of Oaxaca by women in the El Alacrán workshop. Five different colors of clay add texture to the space.
Tucked inside the InterContinental Presidente Mexico City, Chapulín restaurant breathes new life into a classic, if dated, hotel. The bodly modern restaurant is a collaboration between Rafael Sama of SAMA Architects, interior designer Jesús Irizar of mob, artist Ignacio Rodríguez Bach, and graphic design studio Sociedad Anónima—who conceived everything from the gut renovation and furniture to the restaurant's branding and art program.
Much like the menu, which features an updated blend of pre-Hispanic and colonial traditions, the architect and designer looked locally for inspiration. Elements of Mexican culture, from pre-hispanic motifs and craft techniques to indigenous materials abound in the space, making it the perfect place to enjoy some comida mexicana.
