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In Mexico, a new generation of architects is shaping a distinctive design language that reveres and reinterprets the forms, motifs, geometries and siting principles first employed by the Mesoamerican cultures that came before them. By examining the architecture of Aztec, Maya, Olmec, Zapotec and other peoples – from their construction of monumental pyramids to their innate understanding of how light and shadow can influence movement through a space – today’s architects are crafting innovative, atmospheric and deeply personal private residences for their clients.

For Su Wu, a writer and curator who has called Mexico City home for the past 12 years, the re-emergence of these ancient ideas is akin to a ‘renaissance’, she tells Dan Howarth. Her new book, Mesoamerican Modern (Phaidon), includes 16 exemplary residential projects that provide tangible evidence of the movement and are ‘a reflection of an expanded sense of what we consider beautiful and valuable’. We delve into the book to explore five Mesoamerican-modern homes.

Jewellery designer Hannah Martin, a lifelong fan of rock, punk and everything in-between, is well known for channelling a rebellious spirit into her high-end jewellery and personal style. It was fate, perhaps, that brought her together with the ultimate Queen of Noise, Joan Jett, back in 2021. The pair met while both staying at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in Los Angeles. With rock-star stylist Maryam Malakpour in common, their first encounter was one for the books.

‘Maryam had a meeting with Joan and asked if she could take some jewellery over,’ recalls Martin. ‘I was just working in my room and got this call from Maryam going: “Um, could you come over here and pierce Joan’s ear?” It was the ultimate rock ’n’ roll icebreaker.’

Five years on, Martin and Jett’s friendship has endured, and now the duo have collaborated on a 14-piece collection of punk-inspired jewellery, celebrating 45 years of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ seminal album I Love Rock ’n’ Roll. The pair talk Charlotte Gunn through the results.

‘When you go to a community with lots of independent restaurants, it feels unique,’ says Adam Weisblatt. He and Holly Fox are the restaurateur co-founders of Last Word Hospitality, and the duo behind a miniature empire of unique restaurants across Los Angeles. Found Oyster, their 2019 debut, is a buzzy East Hollywood raw bar launched in a tiny shopfront and now a newly expanded, runaway success. Then there’s Portuguese tapas spot Barra Santos in Cypress Park, another raw bar Queen’s in Highland Park, Malaysian-inspired hotspot Rasarumah in Historic Filipinotown and, most recently, classic martinis-and-cheeseburger bistro Hermon’s in Hermon. They’ve also collaborated on two openings out near Joshua Tree. A third desert project, a revamp of Rancho Mirage’s historic Lord Fletcher Inn, is set to open this spring.

What’s noticeable is just how distinct these establishments all feel. While they may share a relaxed conviviality, they each have a personality all their own. They’re also straightforward and timeless in their design. ‘We hate the word “concept”,’ Weisblatt tells Kevin EG Perry. ‘We don’t have concepts. We find people, and we build restaurants that you’ve kind of heard of before. This is a bistro. This is a pub. This is an oyster bar. Then we put human personality into it rather than it being an act.’

‘I tried different ideas [for the players], but I was very attracted to this strange little chicken!’ says Jaime Hayon of his football table design for RS Barcelona, a family-run metal-working company dedicated to the art of play. ‘I wanted the table to be an incredible piece of design… something that could be a sculpture in your living room, but suddenly you can play football with it! How wonderful is that?’