The Emotional Architecture of “La Casita” at Bad Bunny's Residence

The iconic “casita” (small house) that Bad Bunny installed in his musical residence No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí is not just a stage set: it is a powerful representation of our architecture, our collective memory, and our sense of Puerto Rican belonging.

Bad Bunny's “La Casita” at the Choliseo in Puerto Rico

The Design of "La Casita": Vernacular and Contemporary Architecture

The "casita", designed by Puerto Rican Mayna Magruder Ortiz and Rafael Pérez Rodríguez and built by local talent, is a small architectural gem that honors the typical Puerto Rican home. Built of wood and metal, with a front balcony, modest roofs, and traditional materials, it authentically reflects the houses that many of us lived in or knew in our childhood.

Scenography and Use of Space: More than a Stage

The "casita" functioned as a second stage within the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, designed to realistically recreate a typical concrete dwelling. Its interior includes furniture, a television, a bar, and even a spiral staircase at the back that allows the artist to move up to the ceiling. One of the most striking details is that this space also serves as an exclusive VIP area, where world-class guests such as LeBron James, Ricky Martin, and Kylian Mbappé, among others, have sat.

The staging evoked a marquee party-that neighborhood social gathering that goes from the balcony to the street-resonating deeply with our cultural identity.

Cultural and Emotional Significance

The concert, recognized by many as a celebration of Puerto Rican identity, used this space to connect emotional ties to our history and collective feeling. The "casita" not only evoked the nostalgia of home-it was a statement: here we remain, here we belong.

By moving that intimate dwelling to the center of a gigantic stage, such as Puerto Rico's Choliseo, Bad Bunny reinforced our relationship with the past, memory and cultural resistance. The space becomes an architectural narrative, an architecture that speaks without words.

Conclusion: Design, Identity and Architecture at the Service of the Soul

Bad Bunny's “La Casita” is much more than just a stage set: it is a tangible symbol of our vernacular architecture, a bridge between the intimate and the popular, a piece of design with cultural content. It was created by Puerto Ricans, built to thrill, and structured to turn a concert into an experience that is deeply ours.

Are you inspired by this mix of architecture, identity and cultural design? At Ideas Design Studio, LLC we are passionate about telling real stories like this from architectural design in Puerto Rico. Contact us to explore how we can help you materialize your ideas into meaningful spaces, from residential designs to commercial and hospitality projects, find out more on our website and social media!

Bad Bunny and Jimmy Fallon on the streets of Old San Juan. January 2019.

References:

• Díaz, F. J. (28 de julio de 2025). Así se construyó la casa de Bad Bunny dentro del Coliseo. El Nuevo Día.

• People. (31 de julio de 2025). How to Spend a Weekend Like Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico If You're Going to His Historic Residency (Exclusive).

• The Cut. (4 de agosto de 2025). Letting Go of My Diaspora Grief at the Bad Bunny Residency. The Cut.

• AS. (26 de julio de 2025). De LeBron James a Kylian Mbappé: la prestigiosa lista de invitados a la residencia de Bad Bunny en Puerto Rico. AS