Travel: Tadao Ando's Casa Wabi Artist Retreat

By Susan Chalom

So inspired by this breathtaking project by one of my favorite architects Tadao Ando in collaboration with the amazing visionary artist Bosco Soti..

Casa Wabi, a non-profit foundation, was created as a retreat for Mexican and international artists to foster social commitment to the local communities through the arts and exchange of ideas.

Built along a magnificent stretch of Southern Pacific coastline, Tadao Ando combines stark geometric minimalism with traditional Mexican architecture. No glass windows anywhere, stone columns, wooden doors, thatched roofs held up by concrete walls casting shadows and reflecting sunsets all in complete harmony. It almost seems like an extension of the natural Oaxacan landscape -- pure unpretentious simplicity.

This project was based on the Japanese principal of wabi-sabi. Beauty in imperfection...? I failed to see any!