20 May 2011
The partnership of Alejandro de la Vega Zulueta and Ricardo Warman has achieved a level of sophistication and refinement that puts them in the top tier of Mexican designers, with a body of work that rivals the best of Europe and the Americas. They have won acclaim for a succession of high-end restaurants in Mexico City, notably Biko and Oca, which combine precision and warmth, spatial drama and quiet restraint. Their inventive use of natural materials creates an environment in which the cuisine and the customer are the stars. Here, and in several executive office interiors, they use steel and wood with an easy assurance, counterpointing the tones and textures. The Mide Museum in the historic center of the federal capital demonstrates their ability to work on a much larger scale, while respecting the fabric of a historical building. Asked to transform the former eighteen century ex Convent of the Betlemitas, they created a new structure within the shell, enhancing the old masonry and creating expansive areas for interactive displays of new technology. At the other end of the spectrum, they have designed distinctive single-family houses that combine openness and a sense of intimacy.
Michael Webb, architectural writer, Los Angeles, California
