SOUR in Monocle: Navigating Creativity Through Istanbul’s Controlled Chaos

SOUR is featured in Monocle’s October 2024 issue as part of an in-depth exploration into Istanbul’s evolving design landscape. Across the features "Under the Influence" and "Controlled Chaos," Monocle highlights how the city’s unique complexity fosters a specific brand of creative agility.

In the feature, SOUR’s founder Inanc Eray discusses the multidisciplinary reality of practicing in a "fluid" environment, describing the need for a "MacGyver-like" mindset to navigate the vast requirements of the profession. He emphasizes that the constant negotiation inherent in Istanbul’s social and cultural fabric keeps designers in an agile state of mind, bridging the gap between vision and technical execution.

SOUR Partner Pinar Guvenc shares insights into the studio’s philosophy of "frugal innovation"—the ability to generate high-impact, research-driven solutions within real-world constraints. The coverage also spotlights SOUR’s involvement in post-disaster urban regeneration, specifically our collaborative work with the Türkiye Design Council for the rebuilding of Antakya.

By integrating community voices into resilient design, SOUR continues to embrace the "controlled chaos" of the urban environment to create meaningful, inclusive impact.

Read the full features at Monocle:

• Under the Influence: Istanbul's Design Evolution
• Controlled Chaos: The Agile Mindset