Summer Workshop of the Cyprus Architects Association
01–12.09.2025
‘Designing Mobile Cultural Activators’ was organised as part of the annual summer workshop of the Cyprus Architects Association, implemented in 2025 by the Department of Architecture at the University of Nicosia in collaboration with Urban Gorillas.
Based on a proposal developed by Urban Gorillas (Mobile Creative Capsules – MCC) through their participation in the EIT Community Ignite NEB Hackathon, the workshop explored architecture as a tool for cultural and social activation of public space. Architecture students and recent graduates designed and constructed two Mobile Creative Capsules. Mobile and adaptable structures capable of hosting cultural, artistic, and community activities in different urban contexts.
The Capsules function as supportive urban kits, providing urban furniture and autonomous electricity through integrated solar panels, enabling a wide range of activities to take place in public space. One Capsule was constructed using polycarbonate leftovers, while the other reused scratched metal beams donated by a local metal factory, embedding principles of reuse and circularity into the design process.
Acting as catalysts for activation, the MCCs transform underused public spaces into temporary hubs of creativity and encounter. Their first public test took place on 26 September 2025 at Agia Varvara Square in Kaimakli, where residents, artists, and students activated the structures through collective use, demonstrating the potential of mobile infrastructures to reimagine public space.
Capsules team: MC2
Powered by: Urban Gorillas
Funded by: NEB Grow | EIT Community | European Union and Cyprus Architects Association
Supported by: UNIC, CyprusInno | SocialTechLab, Andreas Jacovides Trading
Sponsored by: Nicolaides & Kountouris Metal Company Ltd, Andreas Jacovides Trading
For more information: https://mobilecreativecapsule.com/workshop-text
