What Does Motonal Mean? The Soul Behind Our Name

Motonal is more than just a name. It is a statement, a root, an intention.

It comes from the Nahuatl expression "mo tonalli", which literally means “your day”, “your vital energy,” or even “your destiny.” In the Mexica worldview, the tonalli is more than just a calendar date—it’s the force that drives you, the spirit that walks beside you from the moment you’re born. It is the unique essence you are born with, the path that is drawn for you—and at the same time, the one you choose to walk.

When we chose the name Motonal Studio, we did it from the heart. We wanted our work to speak not only of shapes and spaces, but of soul. We believe that every project has its own tonalli: a singular energy born from the people who inhabit it, the land that holds it, and the story that surrounds it.

We design architecture with awareness and reverence. We don’t repeat formulas—we listen to the soul of each place and each person. Because for us, building is a poetic act. It is about materializing the invisible. And in every wall, every shadow, every empty space… we want that whisper of the tonalli to be heard—the one that inspires the design.

Motonal is your essence. Your energy. Your space.