![Ixi'im Restaurant by Jorge Bolio Arquitectura](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/ixiim-restaurant-jorge-bolio-arquitectura-factory-industrial-extension-mexico-yucatan_dezeen_hero-852x479.jpg)
Metal beams frame restaurant inserted inside old Mexican textile factory
Building around a metal frame placed into ruins of a former engine room in the state of Yucatan, a team of Mexican architects have created a contemporary dining lounge.
The Ixi'im Restaurant is situated in an old textile factory in Chocholá, 70 kilometres inland from the Yucatan peninsula's Gulf Coast.
![Ixi'im Restaurant by Jorge Bolio Arquitectura](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/ixiim-restaurant-jorge-bolio-arquitectura-factory-industrial-extension-mexico-yucatan_dezeen_5-852x568.jpg)
The facility was once a flourishing producer of agave-derived sisal textiles, which remain an important part of the region's culture.
Detached buildings that make up the complex encircle a verdant plaza. Mexican studios Jorge Bolio Arquitectura, Central de Proyectos SCP, Lavalle+Peniche and Mauricio Gallegos collaborated on the project to restore the dilapidated engine room, creating a restaurant within that has expansive views of the courtyard.
![Ixi'im Restaurant by Jorge Bolio Arquitectura](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/ixiim-restaurant-jorge-bolio-arquitectura-factory-industrial-extension-mexico-yucatan_dezeen_18-852x572.jpg)
The architects aimed to convert the structure into a portal to the landscape and history of the complex.
"We propose to offer a pause in the circulation around the courtyard among the facility's buildings," they said. "The project acts as subtle threshold that virtually contains the entrance to the ruins."
![Ixi'im Restaurant by Jorge Bolio Arquitectura](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/ixiim-restaurant-jorge-bolio-arquitectura-factory-industrial-extension-mexico-yucatan_dezeen_16-852x1147.jpg)
The renovation was built around a metal skeleton inserted into the old structure, turning the crumbling walls into partitions.
The architects used the segmented layout to create a series of rooms that cater to different kinds of leisure activities.
![Ixi'im Restaurant by Jorge Bolio Arquitectura](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/ixiim-restaurant-jorge-bolio-arquitectura-factory-industrial-extension-mexico-yucatan_dezeen_14-852x338.jpg)
An atrium with a bar is followed by two rooms that provide seating for private engagements.
The hallway exits into the covered extension, which accommodates a kitchen and a dining area with ample seating.
![Ixi'im Restaurant by Jorge Bolio Arquitectura](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/ixiim-restaurant-jorge-bolio-arquitectura-factory-industrial-extension-mexico-yucatan_dezeen_12-852x568.jpg)
Wood panels set into the ceiling and patterned tile floor add a contrast to the peeling walls.
Glazing set into the metal frame offers views into the courtyard framed by old arches. The designers also used floor-to-ceiling glass to expose shelves displaying one of Mexico's largest craft-liquor collections.
![Ixi'im Restaurant by Jorge Bolio Arquitectura](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/ixiim-restaurant-jorge-bolio-arquitectura-factory-industrial-extension-mexico-yucatan_dezeen_7-852x585.jpg)
The renovation also created terraces that wind through the outer walls, bordered by ponds and vegetation.
The architects organised the building's programme as a journey, so the contemporary alterations made become more prevalent as the visitor progresses through the restaurant.
![Ixi'im Restaurant by Jorge Bolio Arquitectura](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/04/ixiim-restaurant-jorge-bolio-arquitectura-factory-industrial-extension-mexico-yucatan_dezeen_3-852x568.jpg)
"The spatial sequence allows to transit between the site periods, finishing in the contemporary addition, whose physical and visual integration with the main square and its components closes a cycle of respect and belonging," said the architects
Several recent projects in Mexico have been constructed within decaying structures, including a church built into an old tequila distillery and a hacienda converted into a hospitality complex.
Photography is by Eduardo Calvo Santisbón.
Project credits:
Architects: Jorge Bolio Arquitectura, Central de Proyectos SCP, Lavalle+Peniche and Mauricio Gallegos
Structural engineering: Ing. Andrés Dionisio Medina
Construction: Central de Proyectos SCP