MONU MAG, Rotterdam (2026)

17/02/2026

IN BETWEEN THE URBAN CRACKS - ON MONU #38 “INCLUSIVE URBANISM” BY EVA MARIE POBEDA FERRAND

Inspired by Nick Rebstadt’s reflections on how “[…] providing for ambiguity in how designs are used allows for inclusion to happen in unseen and unknown ways”, I decided to immerse myself in the realm of the issue by writing this review from the public toilet of Bürkliplatz, within the stream of people visiting it. However, when I got there, the maintenance person refused to let me stay for a few hours due to space limitations… read the full review of MONU #38 at http://www.monu-magazine.com/news.htm.

Eva Marie Pobeda Ferrand is a design researcher based in Zurich, Switzerland. Her practice investigates the contemporary consequences of totalitarian systems on collective memory and cultural landscapes.

Images:

1. Refurbished public toilets in Central London. Photo by Jo-Anne Bichard. MONU #38, page 14

2. King’s Domain, Melbourne/Naarm. Photo by Nick Rebstadt, 2025. M #38, page 19

3. Students and people with disabilities discuss projects. Photo by Ines Lüder. 2023, M #38, pages 70-71

4. The urban green house. Photo credit: AAA. M #38, page 35

5. Two Romanian workers taking a rest. Photo by Petrut Clinescu, from Mândrie i Beton, 2023. M #38, page 36

6. The original Moser Lamp. M #38, page 122

MONU is currently supported by:

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design/ Preview Fall 2025: The Community
(https://theberlage.nl)

Publication: Making Space Together by Endeavour
(https://www.vai.be/en/publications/making-space-together-endeavour)

EKA - Estonian Academy of Arts’ Urban Studies Master’s Program
(https://www.artun.ee/en/curricula/urban-studies/about-the-program/)

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

05/12/2025

NEW CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR MONU #39 - SINGLES URBANISM

When I recently found myself flooded, during the ever-expanding shopping frenzy of the so-called Black Friday season, with offers branded as Singles’ Day deals, it struck me: singles have become a remarkably powerful force in our societies. The prominence and intensity of Singles’ Day—a celebration that began among students at a Chinese university in the early 1990s and has since grown into one of the largest global shopping festivals—underscores that singles are no longer just a demographic statistic, but a transformative presence reshaping cities and economies worldwide. That is why we aim to investigate, with this new issue of MONU entitled “Singles Urbanism”, how singles transform cities and to understand the spatial consequences of life lived alone, and the growing prevalence of living outside the traditional structures of coupledom and family, and its urban influence... continue reading at http://www.monu-magazine.com/submit.htm.

Image: Patrick Bateman (American Psycho); Carrie Bradshaw (S*x and the City); Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver); Fleabag; Thomas Magnum (Magnum, P.I.); Sinterklaas; Batman; Theodore Twombly (Her); Automat (Edward Hopper); Zaha Hadid; Mary Poppins; Bridget Jones; L. B. “Jeff” Jefferies (Rear Window); Coco Chanel; The Scream (Edvard Munch); Amélie Poulain; WALL-E; Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (Caspar David Friedrich); Yayoi Kusama; Whoopi Goldberg

MONU is currently supported by:

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design/ Preview Fall 2025: The Community
(https://theberlage.nl)

Publication: Making Space Together by Endeavour
(https://www.vai.be/en/publications/making-space-together-endeavour)

EKA - Estonian Academy of Arts’ Urban Studies Master’s Program
(https://www.artun.ee/en/curricula/urban-studies/about-the-program/)

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

24/11/2025

READ MONU FOR FREE

MONU is currently available to read for free at the following libraries, among others:

University of California, Berkeley (United States)
Monash University (Australia)
Graz University of Technology (Austria)
University of Louvain (Belgium)
University of British Columbia (Canada)
Brno University of Technology (Czech Republic)
Royal Danish Academy (Denmark)
School of Architecture of Paris-Val de Seine (France)
Bauhaus University Weimar (Germany)
University of Genoa (Italy)
Amsterdam Academy of Architecture (Netherlands)
University of Auckland (New Zealand)
Oslo School of Architecture and Design (Norway)
University of Zaragoza (Spain)
Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design (Sweden)
Geneva University of Art and Design (Switzerland)
Edinburgh College of Art (United Kingdom)

As we greatly value this kind of open accessibility, we aim to expand the list of libraries where readers can access MONU for free. If you would like to read MONU at your local library as well, simply ask them to contact us at [email protected] to start their subscription.

Image: MONU #38 is available to read for free at the Hypatia of Alexandria Library, University of Zaragoza, Spain

13/10/2025

MONU #38 ON INCLUSIVE URBANISM RELEASED

When it comes to “Inclusive Urbanism” Clara Greed clarifies that “It Is Not Just About Toilets” in our interview with her. However, according to her, one of the fundamentals of creating inclusive cities is to provide more toilets, especially more accessible toilets. That is why we must never underestimate the importance of the level of toilet provision. Because the public toilet especially, where nature comes into direct contact with culture, is the petri dish for inclusive design... continue reading at http://www.monu-magazine.com/issues.htm.

(Cover: Image is part of Tony Van Le’s contribution “Prelude to Convergence” on page 101. ©Tony Van Le)

This issue is supported by:

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design/ Preview Fall 2025: The Community
(https://theberlage.nl)

Publication: Making Space Together by Endeavour
(https://www.vai.be/en/publications/making-space-together-endeavour)

EKA - Estonian Academy of Arts’ Urban Studies Master’s Program
(https://www.artun.ee/en/curricula/urban-studies/about-the-program/)

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

Images and video:

1. Cover of MONU #38
2. It Is Not Just About Toilets - Interview with Clara Greed
3. Wee the People: A Manifesto for the Bladder and Bowel by Jo-Anne Bichard and Gail Ramster
4. Prelude to Convergence by Tony Van Le
5. Journey to the Center by Cristina De Middel
6. The Power to Include and Exclude - Interview with Elke Krasny
7. Is Paris Still Burning? by Marco Addona
8. Flipping the pages of MONU #38, Music: Nirvana - Come as You Are, Video editing: Danae Zachariaki

30/09/2025

MONU AWARDED GRAPHIC AND EDITORIAL MAGAZINE DESIGN OF THE YEAR 2025

MONU has been awarded as the winner in the Graphic and Editorial & Magazine Design category at the LOOP Design Awards 2025. MONU has been judged as outstanding in its visual, editorial, and graphic design among a broad field of international creative work. The Portugal-headquartered, with offices in the US and Japan, LOOP Design Awards is an international design prize covering architecture, interiors, landscape, product, graphic design, photography, video, and concept work. Now in its sixth edition, the LOOP Design Awards 2025 continues its mission to recognize and celebrate the very best in architecture, design, and creativity worldwide. From Architecture and Interior Design to Product, Photography, Video, and Graphic Design, the 2025 edition highlights not only innovation and aesthetics but also projects with cultural, social, and sustainable impact.

Additionally, MONU is also the winner in the category Graphic Design/Editorial at the DNA Paris Design Awards. The DNA Paris Design Awards is a global design prize based in Paris, open to professionals across architecture, interior, landscape, product, and graphic design. It defines itself as a "fresh design award for creative thinkers and makers". Winning a DNA Paris award places MONU among a curated list of international design works selected by a Paris-based jury. The awards ceremony is scheduled for October 24, 2025, at the Espace Niemeyer in Paris.

22/08/2025

CONFLICT AND THE CITY: NEGOTIATING URBAN REALITIES BY MIRKO PETKOVIC

Conflict is an unavoidable part of human life. At a time when conflicts seem to absorb the world, it becomes crucial to understand how they shape the spaces we inhabit. Issue #37 of MONU explores this theme through a diverse collection of articles, interviews, and visual material, offering perspectives from across the globe. As a student of Urban Studies at Leiden University, I found the issue both intellectually rich and surprisingly provocative in its treatment of urban conflict... read the entire review of MONU #37 at http://www.monu-magazine.com/news.htm.

Mirko Petkovic is an undergraduate student of Urban Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands. He is a board member of the Association for Students of Urban Studies and a Student Ambassador of Urban Studies at Leiden University. With a background in mathematics and other sciences, he seeks to combine them with the humanities approaches taught in his programme.

Images:

1. Last jam session at an art & culture center: The „PinkpunkArtspace”, a popular subcultural place in Kyiv has to close for the time being, because the apartment with roof terrace is needed for a refugee woman. Image is from the article "Youth of Kyiv" by Fabian Ritter, page 69

2. Collage of various prohibition signs in Vienna’s municipal housing. Photo by Christina Schraml. Image from "A Plea for the Right to Conflict" by Christina Schraml, page 98

3. The making of “Straight”, 2008 - 2012, image is courtesy of Ai Weiwei Studio, ©Ai Weiwei Studio. From "Beauty Can Still Be Found - Interview with Ai Weiwei", page 107

4. Assembly District 13 before (dashed outline, diagonal hatch) and after (solid outline, solid hatch) 2024 redistricting. Image by Lindsey Krug and Samantha Schuermann, from their article "Fair Fights: Gerrymandering, Malls, and Boundary-driven Conflict in Milwaukee", page 91

MONU is currently supported by:

The Complete Guide to Combat City by Julia Schulz-Dornburg
(https://www.jovis.de/en/book/9783986120986)

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/apply)

Royal Academy of Art the Hague - Master’s Programme Interior Architecture (INSIDE)
(https://www.kabk.nl/.../interio.../admission-requirements...)thehague

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival
(https://coupfilmfest.com/)

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival - Athens, Greece.
Untold Stories of Athletes And Niche Sports From Around The World.
Through the lens of cinema, this film festival series brings to life the passion, dedication and triumphs of athletes from all walks of life, inspiring audiences to dream big and strive for greatness.

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European
Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

25/06/2025

HOW CONFLICT CAN DRIVE URBANISM BY LUCA BONAZZI

What I appreciated most about this issue of MONU is the idea that conflict, often perceived as a byproduct of urban life, is instead a fundamental driver of urban form and evolution... read the entire review of MONU #37 on "Conflict-driven Urbanism" at https://www.monu-magazine.com/news.htm.

Luca Bonazzi is an Italian architect and academic researcher. He holds a Master of Science in Architecture from the Accademia di Architettura at the University of Italian Switzerland (USI).

Images:

1. Screenshot of a video at Hit Show - Hunting, Individual protection & Target Sports Expo in Vicenza. Image is part of Diambra Mariani's contribution "Don’t Think of an Elephant", page 58, ©Diambra Mariani.
2. "To Eradicate Urban Conflict, Eradicate Urban Interaction" by Benjamin van Loon, MONU #37, page 4.
3. Above: Destruction: a main street in Bucha, Ukraine, photographed on March 1, 2022 during a pause in fighting. Below: Reconstruction: the same Bucha street during roadworks in May 2023. Image by Radio Free Europe. Images from "Conflict as Condition - Interview with Eve Blau by Bernd Upmeyer", page 14.
4. "Migration, Crisis, and City-shaping Forces" by Zoë Ritts, pages 34-35.
5. Location of the 2020 incident at the St. Mark’s square in Zagreb, Croatia, now with fencing. Photo by Danijel Losic. Image is from the article "Who Owns the Public Square?" by Stephanie Newcomb and Danijel Losic, page 79.

MONU is currently supported by:
The Complete Guide to Combat City by Julia Schulz-Dornburg
(https://www.jovis.de/en/book/9783986120986)

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/apply)

Royal Academy of Art the Hague - Master’s Programme Interior Architecture (INSIDE)
(https://www.kabk.nl/.../interio.../admission-requirements...)thehague

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival
(https://coupfilmfest.com/)

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival - Athens, Greece.
Untold Stories of Athletes And Niche Sports From Around The World.
Through the lens of cinema, this film festival series brings to life the passion, dedication and triumphs of athletes from all walks of life, inspiring audiences to dream big and strive for greatness.

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European
Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

17/04/2025

THE URBAN IN CONFLICT, TENSIONS AND ARCHETYPES SHAPING OUR URBAN NARRATIVES AND ENVIRONMENTS - A REVIEW OF MONU #37 BY REBECCA BILLI

When I was in high school and studying the classics, my professor highlighted that, while the Odyssey is the epic of the journey, the Iliad is the poem of conflict. As such, it is built on dichotomies. A dual-focused epic, its plot and grammar structure are always bipartite. There are "a one" and "an other." It is in this concept of "the other" that conflict emerges. In literature, tensions have been acknowledged as instrumental to the advancement of a plot. Analogously, in cities, conflict influences the present and can catalyse new futures. It brings ahead both shortcomings and strengths of contemporary society. The premise of MONU's issue 37 supports the claim that conflict is a fundamental force shaping urbanity... continue reading the review at http://www.monu-magazine.com/news.htm.

Rebecca Billi studied architecture between London and Lisbon and earned a Master’s in Museum Studies from Leiden University. Her work explores museums and cities, exhibition formats, and the manifestation of cultural encounters in urban contextst. She’s a PhD candidate at Universidade Autonoma de Lisboa and founder of the multidisciplinary design and research platform Cosebelle.

Images:
1. Johanna-Maria Fritz, "Like a Bird", MONU #37, page 49, ©Johanna-Maria Fritz/OSTKREUZ
2. Digital Collage, MONU #37, Conflict-driven Urbanism, collage by author
3. Fabian Ritter, "Youth of Kyiv", MONU #37, page 65, ©Fabian Ritter
4. Niema Alhessen and Khalda El Jack, "The [Un]Making of Communal Lands and Militarised Zones", MONU #37, pages 39-43, collages by Niema Alhessen and Khalda El Jack

MONU is currently supported by:

The Complete Guide to Combat City by Julia Schulz-Dornburg
(https://www.jovis.de/en/book/9783986120986)

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/apply)

Royal Academy of Art the Hague - Master’s Programme Interior Architecture (INSIDE)
(https://www.kabk.nl/.../interio.../admission-requirements...)thehague

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival
(https://coupfilmfest.com/)

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival - Athens, Greece.
Untold Stories of Athletes And Niche Sports From Around The World.
Through the lens of cinema, this film festival series brings to life the passion, dedication and triumphs of athletes from all walks of life, inspiring audiences to dream big and strive for greatness.

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European
Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

17/03/2025

2 WEEKS LEFT TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR MONU #38 - INCLUSIVE URBANISM
.., this new issue of MONU aims to discuss how such a true "Inclusive Urbanism" that goes beyond platitudes and pseudo DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion)-washing strategies and avoids the consequences of the "wrong" perfection, as showcased in the examples of the public toilets and the wheelchair-proof apartments, might be achieved and who the protagonists and forces of a truly "Inclusive Urbanism" alike might be. We invite you to submit critical reflections, sharp analysis, meticulous investigations, bold writing, provocative studies, visionary projects, imaginative strategies, eye-opening artwork, and game-changing photography. Abstracts of around 400 words, and images and illustrations in low resolution, should be sent, together with a short biography and a list of publications, as one single pdf-file that is not bigger than 1mb to [email protected] before March 31, 2025. MONU's issue #38 will be published in October 2025.

Images:

1. Spiked platforms under overpasses preventing people from sleeping in these places. Image is courtesy of Daily Mail
2. Aerial view of Chicago, where it is rather difficult to get from the north side to the south side easily. The two sides of the city are heavily segregated along racial and economic lines. Collage by Jonathan Michael Johnson

Both images were published in the Interview with Levi Bryant entitled " Every Object Is a Crowd!" in MONU #27.

MONU is currently supported by:

The Complete Guide to Combat City by Julia Schulz-Dornburg
(https://www.jovis.de/en/book/9783986120986)

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/apply)

Royal Academy of Art the Hague - Master’s Programme Interior Architecture (INSIDE)
(https://www.kabk.nl/.../interio.../admission-requirements...)thehague

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival
(https://coupfilmfest.com/)

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival - Athens, Greece.
Untold Stories of Athletes And Niche Sports From Around The World.
Through the lens of cinema, this film festival series brings to life the passion, dedication and triumphs of athletes from all walks of life, inspiring audiences to dream big and strive for greatness.

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

14/02/2025

FROM CRISIS TO OPPORTUNITY BY GRETA SAMULIONYTE

The latest issue of MONU Magazine, entitled "Conflict-driven Urbanism", offers an exploration of how conflicts have historically shaped, currently influence, and may continue to impact cities in the future. Through its thoughtful curation, the issue takes readers on a global journey to uncover how diverse conflicts emerge and transform urban environments... continue reading the entire review at https://www.monu-magazine.com/news.htm.

Greta Samulionyte is an urbanist, architect and researcher passionate about trauma-informed placemaking and inclusive urban design.

Images:

1. Grisha (left) and Borys (right), two best friends, pose for a portrait nearby Irpin in the north of Ukraine. Grisha lives in Irpin, Borys is from Bucha. Grisha just got out of Irpin half an hour before
the Russians took the street where he lives with his family. This day marks the first day they go for a swim at the lake. Kyiv Oblast, 06.06.2022. This photo by Fabian Ritter is part of his contribution "Youth of Kyiv", ©Fabian Ritter.
2. Preserved earthquake shelters in the Presidio, San Francisco's national park site. Source: Elena.laps. Image appears in Lukas Großmann's article "From Provisional to Permanent: The Birth of the Shelter as a Purpose-built Typology".
3. Film still of Ai Weiwei's documentary film "Human Flow", 2017. Image is courtesy of Ai Weiwei Studio, ©Ai Weiwei Studio. It is shown in the interview "Beauty Can Still Be Found" with Ai Weiwei.
4. Volunteers renovating a shelter for IDPs (internally displaced persons) in Ivano-Frankivsk, a city in western Ukraine. The photo by Anastasiya Kubert is featured in the interview with Eve Blau entitled "Conflict as Condition".

MONU #37 is supported by:

The Complete Guide to Combat City by Julia Schulz-Dornburg
(https://www.jovis.de/en/book/9783986120986)

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/apply)

Royal Academy of Art the Hague - Master’s Programme Interior Architecture (INSIDE)
(https://www.kabk.nl/.../interio.../admission-requirements...) thehague

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival
(https://coupfilmfest.com/)

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival - Athens, Greece.
Untold Stories of Athletes And Niche Sports From Around The World.
Through the lens of cinema, this film festival series brings to life the passion, dedication and triumphs of athletes from all walks of life, inspiring audiences to dream big and strive for greatness.

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

11/12/2024

NEW CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR MONU #38 - INCLUSIVE URBANISM

The attempts in many cities over recent years to make public toilets gender-neutral and thus more inclusive - an approach that can theoretically only be appreciated - have made it obvious why they were created in a "segregated" way to begin with. On the one hand, standard toilets are used as urinals that raise issues of cleanliness making them rather unsuitable for seated use, and on the other hand, urinals are part of restrooms used by women, confronting them with men with their pants down... continue reading at https://www.monu-magazine.com/submit.htm.

Image: Inclusive graphic signage by Motionspot

MONU is supported by:

The Complete Guide to Combat City by Julia Schulz-Dornburg
(https://www.jovis.de/en/book/9783986120986)

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/apply)

Royal Academy of Art the Hague - Master’s Programme Interior Architecture (INSIDE)
(https://www.kabk.nl/en/programmes/master/interior-architecture/admission-requirements?utm_source=e-flux&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=werv2024&utm_content=eflux-1may-mia-apply) thehague

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival
(https://coupfilmfest.com/)

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival - Athens, Greece.
Untold Stories of Athletes And Niche Sports From Around The World.
Through the lens of cinema, this film festival series brings to life the passion, dedication and triumphs of athletes from all walks of life, inspiring audiences to dream big and strive for greatness.

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

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