Surreal "Garbage City" outside of Cairo

This unbelievable city piled high with trash is a REAL PLACE not a movie nor photo-shopping. Its called Garbage City, outside of Cairo in Egypt. It’s populated by a community of workers called Zabbaleen, who personally collect, sort, reuse, resell or otherwise re-purpose Cairo’s waste.
via We make money not art

Faroe Islands Education Centre / BIG

Danish firm BIG, in collaboration with Fuglark, Lemming & Eriksson, Sámal Johannesen, Martin E. Leo and KJ Elrad, was awarded with 1st prize on a competition for a new Education Centre in Torshavn, at the Faroe Islands.

The Faroe Islands are an autonomous province of Denmark, and this is the largest educational project in the country’s history, and will house the Faroe Islands Gymnasium, the Torshavns Technical
College and the Business College of Faroe Islands.

The schools are stacked and twisted, generating a central patio which will be the main gathering space of the center. Each of this programatic stripes is then open to the landscape, getting the most out of its location on a hillside with views over the sea, mountains and the harbor. A very simple scheme, which I like a lot as it doesn´t fragment the public space.

But apart from being a whole when seen from the common areas, each school escapes on its own, through the cantilevered volumes that generate a wide array of different views, giving character to each one of the programatic units. I find this reunite/desegregate scheme very good to get a sense of individuality at the center, and have an intense social life at the same time.

via ArchDaily

Plaza del Torico / b720

via ArchDaily

The Lignum Pavillion / Frei + Saarinen

The Lignum Pavillion by Swiss firm Frei + Saarinen Architekten.

Robert Somol Lecture

The University of Kentucky College of Design has posted a video of a lecture by Robert Somol, (Formerly my professor at UCLA MArch, now director of the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Architecture. Its a pretty long talk but is actually very interesting both for architects and non-architects...

Watch

London-based agency Hu2 Design has created a slick set of “Sustainable Habitat Reminder” wall stickers that aim to raise energy awareness by revealing a fantastical set of inner workings behind standard plugs and switches. From hamster-powered generators to Franklin-esque lightning storms, these stickers offer clever explanations for the power running through our walls that make you think twice about where your energy does comes from. We do wish that they weren’t made from vinyl (which can contain harmful chemicals) but we appreciate how their added dose of enlightenment can inspire energy efficiency with the flick of a switch.

via inhabitat

First Post

This site (also linked to my website www.tolgabaydar.com) will feature post about my projects/findings and links to works that i find interesting from other architecture/design/art blogs and magazines that in turn influence my work and thinking...