Christus Muguerza Hospital underway in los cabos
Fernando Romero reveals the design for a new medical facility in Los Cabos, Mexico, developed for Christus Muguerza and Christus Health. Positioned just 300 meters from the coast and visible from the nearby airport, the Christus Muguerza Hospital Los Cabos aims to become a regional landmark that addresses complex environmental and clinical demands. A double-skin facade wraps around the facility, with aluminum louvers that mitigate heat gain, preserve outward views, and withstand the corrosive coastal climate. Biophilic design principles are also applied throughout, including integrated greenery and framed views to reduce the clinical atmosphere often associated with healthcare spaces.
A radial plan defines the form and program, organizing the hospital into three primary arms and with three distinct access points — public, emergency, and service — that minimize conflict between circulation paths. One arm is rotated to create direct access to planted rooftop terraces from each patient wing. This layout, rooted in historical hospital typologies, has been reinterpreted to maximize ocean and mountain views, bring natural light into all inpatient rooms, and integrate planted rooftop terraces into each patient wing. Construction has just begun, with completion targeted for 2028.
all images courtesy of Fernando Romero
fernando romero adapts historic typologies
To begin with, Fernando Romero’s studio conducted research into hospital design history, finding recurring examples of circular and radial organization across centuries. This informed the architects‘ approach, which adapts these typologies to the local context through rotation and elevation. The resulting design reduces wind resistance, a critical consideration in a hurricane-prone region, and enhances spatial clarity through a central light-filled atrium. A series of terraces enhances this as they wrap around the Christus Muguerza Hospital’s curves, intended as part of a broader therapeutic strategy that incorporates landscape and open air into the healing environment.
On the ground level, the architects have organized key clinical functions for efficiency, with emergency, radiology, obstetrics, and surgical services arranged to streamline operations. Inpatient rooms span the upper two floors, with provisions for family members and direct access to outdoor terraces. A chapel is positioned above the main entrance, forming a visual and symbolic anchor, marked by a cross articulated in the facade. Public services such as a café, pharmacy, and outpatient consultation areas are placed on the entry level for intuitive access.
a radial plan defines Christus Muguerza Hospital
a double-skin facade wraps around the facility, with aluminum louvers that mitigate heat gain
project info:
name: Christus Muguerza Hospital
architect: Fernando Romero | @free_fernando_romero
location: Los Cabos, Mexico
