Altar Bench #3 is a minimalist bench created by Mexico City-based practice EWE Studio as part of the larger S.R.O. Collection. In the heart of a stone workshop, a craftsperson’s tools lay scattered across a weathered workbench – chisels, mallets, and measuring instruments that have shaped countless pieces over generations. This tableau of craft implements serves as the perfect entry point to understanding EWE’s Altar collection, where these very tools of stone masonry become elevated to objects of reverence themselves.

Drawing from the rich tradition of Mesoamerican altar-making, where stepped pyramids and elaborately carved stone platforms served as interfaces between the earthly and divine, EWE has created a collection of tables that transforms the functional into the ceremonial. But rather than looking skyward, these pieces direct our gaze to the ground – to the raw material itself and the time-honored processes that shape it.

The collection’s materiality speaks in contrasts: rough-hewn surfaces juxtaposed against mirror-polished planes, brutal geometry softened by organic textures. This duality echoes ancient Aztec and Maya altars, where precisely carved stone steps would often incorporate natural rock faces, celebrating both human intervention and material authenticity.

The designer’s approach reveals a deep understanding of stone’s inherent properties. “We sought to reinterpret the altar, creating more than just functional pieces but as a collection of works that celebrate the beauty of the tools and techniques used in stone craftsmanship,” explains EWE. This celebration manifests in details that might typically be hidden – tool marks become decorative elements, joins between stones are highlighted rather than concealed.

What is particularly innovative about the Altar collection is how it positions everyday objects within a framework of reverence. Just as traditional altars elevated ceremonial objects through their form and context, these tables transform the items we place upon them – a book, a vase, even a cup of coffee – into objects worthy of contemplation. The design creates what might be called “domestic shrines,” where the mundane becomes sacred through thoughtful elevation and framing.