I recently discovered the superbly edited and inspiring new design book, LIVING MEXICO CITY, by Marcela Aguilar y Maya. The vivid and richly detailed photography is by Allan Fis.
It was published this spring by teNeues, the German publisher that specializes in books on design, travel, photography, and architecture.
Come with me and see how the author and photographer have captured a richly delineated slice of design and architecture in today’s Mexico—without the clichés. They portray a talented group of architects, designers, and art collectors, and creative talents well-known in Mexico City but hardly known beyond.
In particular I admire the way Fis portrays a range of architectural styles and design approaches while being true to his own direction and point of view.
LIVING MEXICO CITY, with texts in English, German and Spanish, presents lofts, apartments, hidden gardens, sunny new architecture in historic neighborhoods, as well as rooms crammed with collections of books (lots of books), and objects of delight, art, and wit.
My favorite house (and couple) of the 25 Mexico City dwellings in the book is the all-white residence of Ana and Miguel Ángel Aragonés. The rooms and décor are tranquil, monochromatic and crisply framed and modulated, a clear expression of restrained Modernism in a country that worships color, the baroque, and rich embellishment.
Writes, the book author, ”An internationally recognized architect, Miguel Ángel Aragonés’s best showcase is the home he shares with his wife, Ana, and their two children. With uncluttered spaces, double heights, and a minimalist palette, the house was primarily conceived to host friends, especially during barbecues the couple often organizes. Frequent travelers, the Aragonés’ home serves as their oasis among the city’s chaos. Ana’s visual taste—informed by her calm spirit—is seen in the airy ambiance.”
It's the author's eye view—and her friends—that offer a very private tour of an accomplished and focused coterie.
The book is full of surprises. I loved the moody residence of antiques dealer Rodrigo Rivero Lake, which feels like traveling back in time to colonial Mexico or India.
And the book takes the reader on a tour of some of my favorite central Mexico City neighborhoods, including Condesa, Roma, and Polanco.
In Polanco, Rodrigo Lake is renowned for his immense knowledge of Namban art (Japanese works influenced by European colonizers) as well as art produced when Mexico was a Spanish colony. The house is crammed with his wares (it’s the antithesis of the all-white house I show here). Like several of the others portrayed in the book, he is photographed in a yoga pose. Yoga in Mexico City. No wonder these talents all look so calm and so chilled out.
There’s a wonderfully expressive sculptor and his house, and a music composer with his wife, who grows beautiful orchids and paints subtle canvases. And, for a change, the author did not feel a compulsion to publish Frida Kahlo’s house, nor a dash of the great Barragan, or a splash of Diego Rivera. Not in this book.
There’s an art collector in her Legoretta house, and more architects. I loved the artists’ houses—and seeing the collections of antiques, sculpture, paintings, objects, and different ways of living in this intense and cacophonous and vibrant city.
Christina Arellano & Alejandro Escudero (above) originally met in New York City, where Christina left her life as a successful financier to have a family with Alejandro, an interior designer, in Mexico City.
Writes the book author, “Their home—which could easily be located in Tuscany—has a timeless style that both of them are immensely fond of.
Although every room is perfectly appointed, the interiors are comfortable, fresh, and unpretentious. While each object has a story to tell and every space possesses a certain atmosphere, the whole is harmonious and picturesque.
The ground-floor outdoor space was conceptualized for having company during open- air lunches and nighttime cocktails—for, in addition to being talented designers, Christina and Alejandro are entertainers par excellence.”
In this humanistic and revealing book, the author highlights cosmopolitan residences that speak to the very international nature of Mexico City.
In her introduction, author Marcela Aguilar y Maya notes:
“In residential zones like Las Lomas and San Ángel or apartments and lofts in the central neighborhoods of La Condesa, Roma, and Polanco, the spaces showcased in this book are all authentic, amiable, and very Mexican. If only you could smell what’s cooking within them, you’d surely perceive the delicious aromas of Mexican cuisine. And music? A bolero, the sound of mariachis, or some good jazz. For me, each of these houses is special, and I believe I’ve been in all of them at some point in time, raising a glass to this city of wonders that we all love so much.”
About the Photographer:
Allan Fis one of Mexico’s most acclaimed image-makers. His activity developed since 2001, when he graduated from the Universidad Iberoamericana in chemical engineering while simultaneously studying photography at the Escuela Activa de Fotografía. Allan has worked with magazines such as Vogue, GQ, Esquire, and Elle as well as for diverse brands. His first book, Retrato en voz alta (Outloud Portrait), published by AEditores, compiles portraits of twenty-five of Mexico’s most important visual artists. His work has been exhibited both individually and collectively in galleries and museums. He resides in Mexico City with his wife and three children.
About the Author:
Marcela Aguilar y Maya studied graphic design at the Universidad Iberoamericana, specializing in editorial design and photography. She has directed several periodicals, such as Quién, Estilo México, and La Revista and has collaborated with a number of international publications in the areas of travel, architecture, gastronomy, and lifestyle. She is currently the director of the publishing house AEditores. Marcela lives in Mexico City with her two children, where, apart from her publishing company, she devotes herself to photography and publishing artist books, another of her great passions.
Credits:
Images: All images here are published with the express permission of the publisher and the photographer. Courtesy of teNeues. © Allan Fis.
Photography Assistants: Daniel Zepeda, Salvador Arenas, Jossue Maya at FisFoto
Photography Coordination by Andrea Acuña at FisFoto Photography Post-Production by Antonio Vilchis
Editorial Coordination by Victorine Lamothe
Design by Elle Chyun
Production by nele Jansen, teneues Verlag
Click on the following link to acquire this book:
A link to the Te Neues website: http://www.teneues.com/shop-us/living-mexico-city.html
Special thanks to Allan and to Victorine.
It was published this spring by teNeues, the German publisher that specializes in books on design, travel, photography, and architecture.
Come with me and see how the author and photographer have captured a richly delineated slice of design and architecture in today’s Mexico—without the clichés. They portray a talented group of architects, designers, and art collectors, and creative talents well-known in Mexico City but hardly known beyond.
In particular I admire the way Fis portrays a range of architectural styles and design approaches while being true to his own direction and point of view.
LIVING MEXICO CITY, with texts in English, German and Spanish, presents lofts, apartments, hidden gardens, sunny new architecture in historic neighborhoods, as well as rooms crammed with collections of books (lots of books), and objects of delight, art, and wit.
My favorite house (and couple) of the 25 Mexico City dwellings in the book is the all-white residence of Ana and Miguel Ángel Aragonés. The rooms and décor are tranquil, monochromatic and crisply framed and modulated, a clear expression of restrained Modernism in a country that worships color, the baroque, and rich embellishment.
Writes, the book author, ”An internationally recognized architect, Miguel Ángel Aragonés’s best showcase is the home he shares with his wife, Ana, and their two children. With uncluttered spaces, double heights, and a minimalist palette, the house was primarily conceived to host friends, especially during barbecues the couple often organizes. Frequent travelers, the Aragonés’ home serves as their oasis among the city’s chaos. Ana’s visual taste—informed by her calm spirit—is seen in the airy ambiance.”
 |
| And with their linear purity, white walls act as a gallery for their contemporary art collection, many items of which were specially created for the walls on which they now hang. |
A Book of Ideas
The book also includes the dynamic residences of a Buddhist chef, a graphic designer duo, an entertainer, an artist and his wife, and several more architects. There's a restaurateur, and a gallerist, and internationally recognized painters.It's the author's eye view—and her friends—that offer a very private tour of an accomplished and focused coterie.
The book is full of surprises. I loved the moody residence of antiques dealer Rodrigo Rivero Lake, which feels like traveling back in time to colonial Mexico or India.
And the book takes the reader on a tour of some of my favorite central Mexico City neighborhoods, including Condesa, Roma, and Polanco.
In Polanco, Rodrigo Lake is renowned for his immense knowledge of Namban art (Japanese works influenced by European colonizers) as well as art produced when Mexico was a Spanish colony. The house is crammed with his wares (it’s the antithesis of the all-white house I show here). Like several of the others portrayed in the book, he is photographed in a yoga pose. Yoga in Mexico City. No wonder these talents all look so calm and so chilled out.
There’s a wonderfully expressive sculptor and his house, and a music composer with his wife, who grows beautiful orchids and paints subtle canvases. And, for a change, the author did not feel a compulsion to publish Frida Kahlo’s house, nor a dash of the great Barragan, or a splash of Diego Rivera. Not in this book.
There’s an art collector in her Legoretta house, and more architects. I loved the artists’ houses—and seeing the collections of antiques, sculpture, paintings, objects, and different ways of living in this intense and cacophonous and vibrant city.
Christina Arellano & Alejandro Escudero (above) originally met in New York City, where Christina left her life as a successful financier to have a family with Alejandro, an interior designer, in Mexico City.
Writes the book author, “Their home—which could easily be located in Tuscany—has a timeless style that both of them are immensely fond of.
Although every room is perfectly appointed, the interiors are comfortable, fresh, and unpretentious. While each object has a story to tell and every space possesses a certain atmosphere, the whole is harmonious and picturesque.
The ground-floor outdoor space was conceptualized for having company during open- air lunches and nighttime cocktails—for, in addition to being talented designers, Christina and Alejandro are entertainers par excellence.”
In this humanistic and revealing book, the author highlights cosmopolitan residences that speak to the very international nature of Mexico City.
In her introduction, author Marcela Aguilar y Maya notes:
“In residential zones like Las Lomas and San Ángel or apartments and lofts in the central neighborhoods of La Condesa, Roma, and Polanco, the spaces showcased in this book are all authentic, amiable, and very Mexican. If only you could smell what’s cooking within them, you’d surely perceive the delicious aromas of Mexican cuisine. And music? A bolero, the sound of mariachis, or some good jazz. For me, each of these houses is special, and I believe I’ve been in all of them at some point in time, raising a glass to this city of wonders that we all love so much.”
 |
| Allan Fis |
About the Photographer:
Allan Fis one of Mexico’s most acclaimed image-makers. His activity developed since 2001, when he graduated from the Universidad Iberoamericana in chemical engineering while simultaneously studying photography at the Escuela Activa de Fotografía. Allan has worked with magazines such as Vogue, GQ, Esquire, and Elle as well as for diverse brands. His first book, Retrato en voz alta (Outloud Portrait), published by AEditores, compiles portraits of twenty-five of Mexico’s most important visual artists. His work has been exhibited both individually and collectively in galleries and museums. He resides in Mexico City with his wife and three children.
 |
| Marcela Aguilar y Maya |
About the Author:
Marcela Aguilar y Maya studied graphic design at the Universidad Iberoamericana, specializing in editorial design and photography. She has directed several periodicals, such as Quién, Estilo México, and La Revista and has collaborated with a number of international publications in the areas of travel, architecture, gastronomy, and lifestyle. She is currently the director of the publishing house AEditores. Marcela lives in Mexico City with her two children, where, apart from her publishing company, she devotes herself to photography and publishing artist books, another of her great passions.
Credits:
Images: All images here are published with the express permission of the publisher and the photographer. Courtesy of teNeues. © Allan Fis.
Photography Assistants: Daniel Zepeda, Salvador Arenas, Jossue Maya at FisFoto
Photography Coordination by Andrea Acuña at FisFoto Photography Post-Production by Antonio Vilchis
Editorial Coordination by Victorine Lamothe
Design by Elle Chyun
Production by nele Jansen, teneues Verlag
Click on the following link to acquire this book:
A link to the Te Neues website: http://www.teneues.com/shop-us/living-mexico-city.html
Special thanks to Allan and to Victorine.
3 comments:
A NYC project for a Mexican client took me to Mexico City for a series of planning meetings. There were some lovely residences there, especially those with Colonial influences.
Beautiful interior designing and interior decoration!
What a fabulous view into some amazing homes and lives in DF. I live in Mexico (quite a bit further south than DF) and these are images that certainly don't come to mind when I think of the megapolis. And you were so right - I didn't see any of the standard cliches. Beautiful review of what looks to be an exquisite book.
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