Prime Highlights:
- AG Studio’s Tonana rooftop bar celebrates female power and ancient goddesses, creating a “matriarchal universe” inspired by pre-Hispanic myths.
- The rooftop features unique furniture, handcrafted by Mexican artisans, along with symbolic water features honoring Aztec goddesses.
Key Facts:
- The bar is located at Casa Hoyos, a boutique hotel designed by AG Studio, and incorporates tezontle flooring, crimson marble, and geometric metal elements.
- Tonana is part of the Mexico City Art Week showcases, highlighting innovative interiors and creative reinterpretations of traditional Mexican crafts.
Background:
San Miguel de Allende now has a rooftop bar that blends culture, mythology, and design. Mexican design studio AG Studio has launched Tonana at Casa Hoyos, a boutique hotel they previously worked on. The bar draws inspiration from ancient goddesses and honors female power.
The design draws from the Hoyos family’s matriarchal history, first highlighted in the hotel with a tile mural of the Virgin of Loreto, the town’s patron saint. Studio founder Andrés Gutiérrez expanded this idea at Tonana, exploring pre-Hispanic myths and female deities like Tonantzin, an Aztec mother goddess. The result is a rooftop space that combines mythology, history, and modern design.
The floor is made from tezontle, a traditional red volcanic stone, with sculpted pieces creating different seating areas. The seating features crocodile-shaped benches made by artisans in Oaxaca and soft, rounded pink chairs from Gutiérrez’s Licha outdoor collection, created with Monterrey’s Los Patrones studio.
A pair of water features on either side of a small staircase symbolize Chalchiuhtlicue, the Aztec goddess of rivers. The bar itself is crafted from tezontle and topped with crimson marble, with stainless-steel stools and geometric shelves behind displaying decorative items, including a Tonantzin sculpture.
“Stone represents the earth, while metal reflects a protective, lunar energy,” said Gutiérrez. “The Tonantzin symbols throughout the bar show the balance of sacredness and strength. This project was very meaningful for everyone involved.”
Tonana celebrates Mexican mythology and honors the influence of women across generations. Ahead of Mexico City Art Week, it joins other design projects that highlight inventive interiors and creative uses of traditional Mexican crafts.
AG Studio’s Tonana rooftop bar is a clear example of how design, history, and storytelling can create a space that is visually striking and rich in cultural significance.
