By: Milana Abdyrakmanova [24144450]. New Media and Communication Science Faculty
The faculty of Architecture and Design at the European University of Lefke (EUL) organized its RE-ICON Design Week from April 27th to 30th, 2026, inviting architecture students to step away from traditional studio work and explore their field through three different creative lenses: fashion, spatial experience, and urban design.
Fashion designer Abdullah Oztoprak joined the event as a guest participant, contributing his expertise by working directly with students throughout the week.
Three Groups, Three Concepts
Students were divided into three groups, each working on different theme.
Group one: Body As Architecture-worked with guest designer Abdullah Oztoprak to create wearable fashion pieces inspired by iconic buildings.
Group two: From Surface to Experience-turned architectural surfaces into full scale spatial installations in the public space.
Group three: Urban Re-Scale-reinterpreted iconic structures through line, plane, and surface compositions.
At the end of the week the best projects from all three groups were presented together in a final showcase.
Limited Materials, Unlimited Creativity
The week did not go entirely as planned. A shortage of fabric and design materials forced students to work with whatever they could find.
“We had limited amount of fabric and design materials for the design week, but still managed to make something out of the few bits and pieces we could find.” Said Nicholas Temba, architecture student and Design Week participant.
Despite the setback, all three groups pushed through and delivered their work by the end of the event.
A Different Kind of Learning
For many students the experience stood out because of how physical and hands-on it was.
“What impressed me the most is the different materials and the group work. Using various materials and actually touching and feeling them made a big difference.” Said Salma Liab, architecture student at EUL.
Liab added that the week also shifted the way she thinks about her profession. “Usually we’re either drawing by hand or on the computer and making small-scale models, but we don’t really get the chance to see our ideas turn into something real, especially made by our own hands. It made me realize more how important the practical side is”. She said.
RE-ICON Design Week gave EUL architecture students a rare chance to see their ideas take shape beyond the screen and the drawing board through fabric, materials, and real scale structure. For a faculty more used to models and technical drawings, that shift seemed to leave a lasting impression.
The event also aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4, which focuses on quality education-a detail noted on the official event materials.
