Alexander Diaz Anderson approaches design as a system that moves between architecture, object and material, where each element has equal weight. Through ATRA Studiohas built a practice that operates across Mexico City, Los Angeles and New York, shaping residential and hospitality spaces through a precise control of volume, circulation and craftsmanship. His work develops in close collaboration with artisans through ATRAFORMwhere material knowledge and execution remain inseparable from the design process.
In this conversation about DSCENEChief editor Zarko Davinic talks to Andersson about building a studio in different cultural contexts, the role of craftsmanship in shaping a design language, and the decision to treat interiors as integrated architectural systems. The discussion moves through the launch of Diálogo Gallery, ATRA’s positioning in emerging markets, and the discipline required to maintain clarity in a landscape defined by speed and expansion.
You’ve built ATRA across Mexico City, Los Angeles and New York, working within very different cultural and architectural contexts. How do these different environments shape your approach to design and how do you navigate the specific pressures each market places on your creative decisions? – The design approach does not necessarily change. It remains consistent because we operate based on a very clear philosophy that defines us as a company and the story we are building.
What changes is the context. Each market has its own conditions, its own attitudes, its own climate, its own way of being. Context is everything. Whether we work in New York, Mexico City or Los Angeles, the goal is always to create a dialogue between who we are and where we are.
In New York, for example, the urban condition, density, pace, and cultural context require a different response. We adapt our language to this environment, combining our identity with the character of the city. New York, for us, is an amplifier. It places us on a higher level of discourse about art, architecture and institutions. It’s not just another market, it’s a statement of where we are.
Context is everything. Whether we work in New York, Mexico City or Los Angeles, the goal is always to create a dialogue between who we are and where we are.
In your work, which oscillates between sculpture and utility, what comes first when deadlines are tight or constraints come in? – For us, there is no clear division between sculpture and utility. I don’t see the work as a sculpture. It is a design language based on time, science, nature and many references.
Functionality and comfort are always the base layer. We build from there. Aesthetics and expression come before something that works first. It’s not about choosing one over the other, it’s about building from a foundation that makes sense.
ATRA operates through ATRAFORM, a series of workshops focused on working closely with artisans. How has working at this level of skill and experience shaped the way you think through a design? – My background started from building, wallpapering, carpentry, painting, metals, oxidation. This process has always shaped the way I design.
When you work directly with materials, you understand their limitations, but also their capabilities. The more you understand the material, the more you can push it.
Craftsmanship has always been part of the process because we design with construction in mind. At ATRA, you can’t separate the idea from how it’s made. We don’t just hand over designs and expect someone else to solve them. You need to understand the process, communicate it clearly, and guide it through execution so that the end result reflects the intent.
The more you understand the material, the more you can push it.
With the launch of Diálogo Gallery in San José del Cabo, what changes for you when your work moves into a more public space? – Diálogo is a natural step in our evolution. It’s similar to New York in that it places us in a larger conversation, but it also introduces a new level through working with Glenn, Piero and Marco.
We are entering a market where high-end design is not yet fully established. This creates an opportunity. By introducing a different level of quality and a new way of thinking, we can position ourselves as an entry point for a new kind of clientele.
Cabo has an incredible natural setting, but there is room to add value through design, through curation, and through a more considered architectural language. The idea of ”Dialogue” reflects how we see everything, as relationships. Between client and designer, between architecture and landscape, between object and space. Everything is connected.
The gallery opens in Los Cabos at a time of rapid luxury development. How do you navigate market demand while maintaining an approach rooted in Mexican material traditions? – At Los Cabos, we believe in organic growth. We understand that what we do is not for everyone.
The focus is on design integrity. It’s about proposing work that makes sense for the market while also responding to how people want to live and use the space there. At the same time, we contribute a cultural and spatial value that may not yet exist.
There is already a strong presence of international companies, but the landscape tends to look homogenous. By bringing a different perspective, we have the opportunity to help shape a new design and cultural narrative in the region, especially alongside our partners.
At ATRA, you can’t separate the idea from how it’s made.
You describe your new gallery spaces as research laboratories. How do you preserve the time and space needed for experimentation that resists easy categorization? – We describe them as workshops because each market requires a different approach and each space evolves over time.
They often start with a strong aesthetic statement, but the programming develops according to the environment. In New York, for example, it starts as an exhibition space, but quickly becomes a platform for collaboration, for dinners, for conversations with people in various industries.
We do not see these spaces as retail. They are cultural platforms. Places to exchange ideas, host events and understand the dynamics of the city. Through this, we identify where we can contribute and create value.
You grew up in Sweden, trained in Spain and now work between Mexico and the United States. Do you feel like your work belongs in a certain place? – The work has a Scandinavian foundation, and there is clearly a Mexican influence, but together they create something more cosmopolitan.
At its core, philosophy is about timelessness. It is about creating work that can exist beyond a specific place or moment. Something that is not limited by geography.
The goal is to develop a language that can move across environments without losing its identity.
Our work is not about individual objects. It’s about systems.
You recently unveiled ATRA FORM in New York at the former Vito Schnabel Gallery. Why did you approach the space as an architectural system instead of a furniture showroom? – Because the project is not about individual objects. It’s about systems.
The architectural approach to space allows us to present the work as part of a wider context, where the objects relate to each other and to the environment. It becomes a spatial experience rather than a show.
You have been in Mexico for almost two decades. Materials aside, what is it about Mexico City’s creative energy that allows a multidisciplinary studio like yours to thrive internationally? – Mexico offers a level of craftsmanship and flexibility that is hard to find elsewhere. It allows us to develop new techniques and evolve along with the people we work with.
At the same time, Mexico City was not historically positioned as a global design capital, which forced us to define our own identity and language. This process created a certain resilience and independence in the way we think.
There’s also a broader cultural moment happening. Cities going through periods of instability or transition often become fertile ground for creative output. New York in the 80s is an example of this. I think Mexico City is experiencing something similar now, and that energy will continue to shape its identity over time.
Our process is based on reflection, research and understanding. This takes time, and that is part of the value.
When everything is moving faster and expectations are constantly rising, what drives your design decisions? – Speed is not what defines the project.
Our process is based on reflection, research and understanding. This takes time, and that is part of the value.
We create pieces that are meant to be specific and meaningful. This level of depth cannot be achieved quickly, and the people we work with understand that. What they invest in is time, thought and a level of uniqueness that comes from that process.
