24 Mexico City design studios transform an abandoned house into playful retreat
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Design House is an annual highlight on the Design Week Mexico calendar. This year’s edition sees an abandoned house transformed by 24 local interior designers and architects, each one restoring a room or outdoor area in their unique style. While the project reflects the diverse talent abounding in the 2018 World Design Capital, it simultaneously shows a variety of new approaches to design thinking currently brimming throughout Mexico City.
Upon entering, visitors are greeted with a vibrant bar by award-winning interior designer Sofía Aspe. Its walls, tiled and painted in quirky colours, lead to a fern-encased outdoor cove where drinks can be enjoyed while seated on metallic rocks.
In stark contrast to this light-washed space is a dark, candle-lit passage and staircase by EDAA that offers a meditative repose. The young studio, which focuses on architecture, graphic design, illustration and construction, has used its multifaceted approach to make the surfaces, textures and materials the subject here.
Another invitation for self-absorption comes from the zen-like bathroom by ADI. Here, Calacatta marble, oak, porcelain and gold accents combine with privacy screens and sultry illumination to present a relaxation haven that transports you miles away from the capital city.
Showcasing luxury through a ‘less is more’ approach is the 33 sq m rooftop studio by VGZ Arquitectura y Diseño – a self-sustaining abode making use of solar panels and a rainwater system. Structure-wide doors on either side open up completely to enlarge the living area, while the bed converts into a sofa and the kitchen table folds away, allowing the room to adjust to everyday needs.
Outdoors, a glass treehouse by Broissin has been wrapped around the trunk of a large ash tree, calling for playful exploration and total immersion in nature. Blink, and you might miss it.
INFORMATION
Design House is open from 12-28 October. For more information, visit the Design Week Mexico website
ADDRESS
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Monte Libano 930
Lomas de Chapultepec
Mexico City
-
Es Devlin’s large-scale choral installation celebrates London’s displaced population
Es Devlin has partnered with UK for UNHCR on a free and open-to-all exhibition, ‘Congregation’, in London from 3-9 October 2024
By Hannah Silver Published
-
‘What does a Luca Faloni jacket look like?’: this suede bomber marks the brand’s first foray into outerwear
‘Made for years to come’, this lightweight bomber marks Luca Faloni’s entry into outerwear and encapsulates the label’s provenance-focused approach
By Jack Moss Published
-
Volkswagen celebrates 50 years of the Golf, its most famous modern model, with a flight of fancy
Wallpaper* travelled to eastern Turkey in search of the perfect backdrop to mark 50 years and eight generations of the evergreen VW Golf
By Adam Hay-Nicholls Published
-
Alessi Occasional Objects: Virgil Abloh’s take on cutlery
Best Cross Pollination: Alessi's cutlery by the late designer Virgil Abloh, in collaboration with his London studio Alaska Alaska, is awarded at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Design Miami 2022: highlights from the fair and around town
Design Miami 2022 (30 November – 4 December) aims at ‘rebooting the roots of our relationship with nature and collective structures, ecospheres, and urban contexts’
By Sujata Burman Last updated
-
Salon Art + Design 2022: design highlights not to miss
Wallpaper* highlights from Salon Art + Design 2022, New York
By Tilly Macalister-Smith Last updated
-
Design Week Lagos 2022 celebrates creativity and innovation in West Africa and beyond
Curated by founder Titi Ogufere, Design Week Lagos 2022 is based on a theme of ‘Beyond The Box’
By Ugonna-Ora Owoh Last updated
-
Designart Tokyo transforms the city into a museum of creativity
Designart Tokyo presents global design highlights through a series of exhibitions involving global creative talent and traditional Japanese craft
By Danielle Demetriou Last updated
-
Tom Dixon marks his studio's 20 years with a show of design experiments
Mushroom, cork, steel coral and more: Tom Dixon showcases an overview of his design experiments as he celebrates his practice's 20 years
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Vitra unveils new London home in the Tramshed, Shoreditch
London Design Festival 2022: after a year-long renovation, Vitra opens the door to its new showroom in the heart of Shoreditch
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
USM launches blushing pink limited edition of its modular furniture
Following an installation during Milan Design Week 2022, USM launches a new pink limited edition of its Haller range
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated