Embracing the Erratic Essence of Pure Elements, This Trendy Wave of Architecture and Design Meshes Seamlessly With Costa Rica’s Identity as a Destination.
The digital age brought upon us some of the most incredible advancements in the shortest amount of time, to the point that the accelerated pace of innovation quickly left many behind. Technocracy in all areas branded itself through the aesthetics of minimalism, associating the future with the most clean-cut of styles and a pragmatic way of approaching space. When embraced by all brand designs, logos, and structures, minimalism soon became synonymous with contemporary aesthetics, and despite bringing some important concepts to the forefront, particularly in the use of natural lighting and open floor plans, it shouldn’t be the sole option.
Throughout history, aesthetic trends in all media have their rise and fall, reaching a point of inevitability and then burning out due to a generalized fatigue. In architecture, however, trends relate differently to their contexts. A country, a city, a neighborhood, and even a block each has its own identity based on topography, weather, environment, and even sociocultural background, and the best expressions of architecture always embrace these idiosyncrasies in their design. That’s why, despite its many perks, many have seen the standardization of minimalism as a worrying trend.
Given this context, one of the main trends to have arisen recently is that of rawness. The concept is applied to industrial, graphic, and fashion design, but can also be seen in gastronomy, architecture, and even cinema. Raw design looks to embrace the rough edges of reality, avoiding any kind of purification or refinement, and seeing beauty in what some would call imperfections. Raw design is born from the elemental, and has no intention of satisfying preconceived notions of “niceness”.
One of the raw designs' main references is the German school of Brutalism, which favored rough and unfinished surfaces, unusual shapes, solid materials, massive forms, and contrasting small features. Brutalism, however, is deeply linked to a more industrial kind of environment, so it’s interesting seeing how Raw design can be intertwined with the feel of tropical luxury.
In many ways, it makes perfect sense. After all, in countries like Costa Rica, people seek out a more authentic way of life, a closer relationship with nature, and purer expressions of Mother Earth. Raw luxury in Costa Rica is simply the natural meeting point between concepts, an innovative and eye-catching trend that really makes this small Central American nation’s essence an integral part of its creative ethos.