PHONEBOO{th}KS

{WHAT}'Daddy, what are those weird cubes with a phone in it doing on the streets?' It's hard to imagine in this era, but there was a time without smartphones or even mobile phones. Nowadays the phonebooth rarely got used. The phonebooths are dying! They became useless objects on the middle of the streets. How can we give these useless objects a new function? A question where a lot of cities wants the answer on.

' they can also be a place of opportunity, something to reprogram and somewhere to come together and share a good book with your neighbors '

 - John Locke

Architect John Locke, who's behind Department of Urban Betterment, saw an opportunity and came with a project to turn the phonebooths into communal libraries or book drops. Sharing and bringing people together with books in the individualistic cities. 
Similar project with the same open-air public library formula is the outdoor library in Magdeburg, Germany by KARO. Artist Massimo Bartolini also came with an outdoor public library project for a Belgian art festival.

{WHY}People have the strong need to share everything nowadays. Especially on the web by posting/tweeting/instagraming, you name it! Because of the web we also share a lot of knowledge. Look at the DIY movies or Wikipedia. So if we can share knowledge on the web, why can't we do it in real life? Bringing the 'real' social aspect back in sharing. That's what I find so strong about these projects. Bringing knowledge TO the people by placing books on random public places.  

{FUTURE}Eventually these projects are all about bringing people together. Finding ways to connect people in the buzzy individualistic cities. Using public places to create that. Creating solidarity in the city, but where you can still be yourself as an individual. I think that the projects with that goal are going to play a big role for cities in the future. 

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SOURCE: popupcity.net

SWING OVER THE CITY

 Escape from the city, explore the city.

{WHAT}We are living in a society of materialism and individualism. Cities full of people who are living in there own little world. By the thought of bringing these people together architect Didier Faustino created 'Double Happiness', an advertising billboard swing.  By making it a 'risky' game, because your hanging round 6 meters from the ground without any safety belts, you are testing your own limits. Escape a moment from the busy city and bringing two people together by experience a new perception of the city. It makes you explore the city in a different way.  The project 'Swings Holland' placed swings on random places in Dutch cities for the same reason.  

{WHY} I loved to swing when I was younger, actually still do. Playing with gravity, the feeling of a cool breeze and hearing the wind rushing by your ears. In some way it gives you a sense of rest and relaxation. It's hard to find that in a busy city. 'Double Happiness' is a way to escape from the busy city in the city and just relax. In a way it also links to the trend Authenticity. The swing is timeless and almost everybody used to swing when he was younger. Bringing something from the past as a kid in the time where you had no worries, back to the busy now.

{FUTURE}More and more people are moving to the city. Cities become busier and louder, so it becomes harder to find your rest in the city. I think in the future there will be coming more projects like 'Double Happiness' and 'Swings Holland'. But than on higher level, for instants: on the roof of a building. 

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WEBSITE: mesarchitecture.org 
SOURCE: demilkedtestserver.manofilmas.lt

URBAN EXPLORING

Palladium is the perfect shoe to explore 'urban terrains'. This season it's about exploring the city. Places with a high energy level, where people connect, cultures arise and fashion got created! 

The new collection Palladium Sport features the signature canvas, this time in bright colors and with a white outsole. The campaign of this collection is shown in a three-part short film series, called 'Streets in Focus'. Three young creative minds, Josh Gordon // Awol Erizku // Manuela Costa Lima, show there favorite places in there hometown. It's filmed in documentary style so it's feels personal what makes the campaign pretty strong.

In my opinion Palladiums are the ultimate 'Urban Nomad' shoes. They look rough, made for explores and are urban terrain proof! Now you see 'Urbanism' is growing and also people of this time are looking for brands that are 'authentic' and have a history that fits the brand. I think Palladium a strong example of a brand with a history and authenticity.   

(You can watch the other short films on the Palladium website.)

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WEBSITE: palladiumboots.com
SOURCE: pressonly.nl