What if we replaced all ornament with materiality and light? Sitting on a street in Mexico, César Béjar Studio describes their Pink House as “the simplest facade in the neighbourhood”. The home is sandwiched within a row of contemporary Mexican townhouses; to its left, a two-storey concrete home stands dressed in stone and timber cladding. To its right, a white contemporary home stands tall, complete with pool fence glass balustrades to its balcony and an outdoor pendant above the entryway. Ornament galore! Smack bang in the middle is a large pink box, revealing very little about what lies inside.

Wedged between two party walls, the solid pink box “seems to float, as if it is trying to find a sense of lightness”, describes César Béjar Studio, while also “breaking the plasticity of the surrounding suburb through its contrast of colours, shape and texture”. A stucco-like application leaves the surface of the facade bumpy and organic—almost as if the home was carved and sanded out from a large pink rock.

Cut into the otherwise sheer two-storey wall are a series of openings. These moments are not about ornamentation or creating visual interest along the facade but rather crafting moments of amenity for the home, such as balconies and windows. They are “pushed in from the facade to protect from the harsh southern sun”, explains César Béjar Studio, sharing how these punctures were designed to be “spaces of contemplation that could be enjoyed from the interior spaces as if one were outside”.

While there are many bold gestures about the façade the home’s quality lies in being monochrome. Standing tall and upfront, the facade of this home does not shy away from the neighbourhood. Instead, it loudly announces, ‘I am here, and I am pink!’ However, unlike the other famous pink home we all know and love—Barbie’s Dream House—this pink home’s interiors are minimal spaces devoid of colour. Instead, the interior plays with light and scale to curate exciting and intriguing pockets for living.

Axonometric model of César Béjar Studio’s Pink House in Mexico.

Painted white on almost every surface, the interior acts as a blank canvas. Internal courtyards play an integral role in the home’s playful nature with light. Pink hues from the patios “bounce around in the courtyard and enter the house” share César Béjar Studio. Fitted with blue and yellow planes of glass, the windows and skylights throughout Pink House filter the pink light into various living spaces. Resulting in an orangey hue, the home glows with a warmth that is both playful and comforting.

Beyond its interior that plays with light and colour, this 330 square meter home by César Béjar Studio boasts a well-curated facade that has a big, bold impact. In a streetscape of glossy white walls and timber facade details, Pink House appears to be an invigorating and welcome addition to the streets of contemporary Mexico.

[Images courtesy of César Béjar Studio.]