Outside the Box

ATRA Collective revamps a 19th-century mansion to make a new home in the heart of Mexico City

The buzz surrounding Mexico’s design scene is at full throttle these days. And rightfully so. The country is home to some of today’s most exciting design voices—Fernando Laposse, Ewe Studio, Gloria Cortina, and VIDIVIXI, to name just a few—as well as a rich and growing gallery, collector, and fair scene (including last month’s debut MDF Mexico Design Fair in Puerto Escondido). As Alexander Díaz Andersson, founder of emerging design studio ATRA says, “Mexico is a land of opportunity, challenge, and amazing potential when it comes to craftsmanship and design.”

I started this project with my brother, artist Andreas Díaz Andersson. At the time he and other designers and artists friends didn't have the proper outlet to develop and exhibit their work in Mexico City. We wanted to create a space where design can be shown next to art without dumbing it down and vice versa.