WAI Architecture Think Tank Condemns $2 Billion Esencia Resort as Colonial Project in Puerto Rico

A $2 billion luxury wellness project named Esencia is set to occupy 2,000 acres in Cabo Rojo, located on Puerto Rico's southwestern coast, but it faces backlash from thousands of demonstrators in San Juan, Los Angeles, and New York. Founders of WAI Architecture Think Tank, Nathalie Frankowski and Cruz Garcia, expressed in The Architect's Newspaper that architectural renderings make such developments appealing. The project is backed by Reuben Brothers and Three Rules Capital, with management from Rosewood Hotel Group, Mandarin Oriental, and Aman Group. Local firm Álvarez Díaz & Villalón created the masterplan, while EDSA designed the landscape. The development will feature 1,200 homes, luxury villas, and two golf courses. Journalist Rima Brusi noted that Esencia is projected to use 1.25 million gallons of water daily, about 25% of Cabo Rojo's total consumption, amid ongoing water service issues in Puerto Rico. The authors reference Krista A. Thompson's An Eye for the Tropics to illustrate how colonial narratives depicted Caribbean beaches as uninhabited paradises and highlight the lack of public commentary from Puerto Rico's architectural institutions. They also mention investigative reporting by Centro de Periodismo Investigativo regarding environmental safeguards and Act 60 tax incentives.