Dusk and Blackdown: Margins Music

Make Archtects reshape the London skyline

London-based Make Architects have designed this nine-storey building with its asymmetrical pattern, which, according to the Arch In Home website, ‘is determined by the constraints of the site, with the southern elevation curving gently to address the Monument and define an enlarged and newly activated public square at ground level. This elevation is clad in a faceted glazed facade which reflects the Monument to provide a spectacular backdrop to the new public square. The facade also lifts up at ground level to create entrances to the building and to the retail units on the ground floor’. Read more

Tas Firin, London

I’ll let you in on a secret. If you’re heading East towards Brick Lane and are hungry, forget about all those cheap and non flavorsome restaurants, which surround the area door to door, encouraging you to come in for a cheap bite. Go around the corner, instead, off Bethnal Green Rd and you’ll find a Turkish favorite, Tas Firin. It’s such a nice surprise: even the décor has a charm, with shoes on the makeshift roof, which in turn is the drinks station. The hummus and halloumi are a must. My favorites are the Adana and Iskender dishes, but don’t order them together as the portions are huge.

Lola’s Kitchen cupcakes

Cupcakes are to urban eating today what sundried tomatoes and pesto were in the 80s. The fad took over in leaps and bounds a few years back and it remains a steadfast part of any stylish city dwellers diet. Perfect then that Lola’s Kitchen in London not only delivers soft, fluffy, just out of the oven cupcakes, but they do so in chic packaging that oozes as much style as their icing does sweet indulgence. Read more

Jürgen Teller for Marc Jacobs

Ten years of German photographer Jürgen Teller’s candid, glamorous photo campaigns for Marc Jacobs’ men’s and women’s collections have been collated into one cohesive 576-page fashion bible. This book does an excellent job of detailing just how significant this collaboration has been for fashion, featuring appearances from the likes of Sofia Coppola, Charlotte Rampling, Meg White, Thurston Moore, Rufus Wainwright, William Eggleston, and Winona Ryder. Read more

Yonlu’s hidden recordings

One of the most intriguing stories I’ve come across this year is about a young artist called Yonlu, born Vinicius Gageiro Marques in the town of Porto Alegre, in Brazil. His story is short but fascinating. As it goes, this sixteen year old songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and virtual artist locked himself in his bathroom, signed on to one of the various suicide forums he belonged to on the Internet, and took his own life, remaining online until the very end. After his death, his father went through his computer and found numerous musical creations, including the songs that make up his debut album through Luaka Bop. It’s an amazing listen and very ahead of its time.

Edgar Muller’s three-dimensional street art

Some people are talented, others are just truly remarkable. German artist Edgar Muller makes these three-dimensional apocalyptic fantasy street art in cities across the world. His work is reminiscent of that of English artist, Julian Beever. Read more