Cover of 'Athens'- the latest issue of Uncube

German magazine uncube has ended its digital content after four years and 43 issues. Last week, uncube editorial team officially announced uncube magazine will no longer continue its digital publishing. Undoubtedly, uncube magazine became a new touchstone of digital publishing through its visually-rich content, high-graphic quality, investigative journalism, vivid and joyful interface among other publications.  

''Back in August 2012, in the editorial of uncube issue no. 1, we stated our intention to “celebrate our own and others’ obsession with architecture”. In typical uncube style, we ended up going beyond this remit, and in the process challenged the conventions of architecture discourse and threw down the gauntlet in terms of what digital publishing could be'' stated the uncube team in the last post of the magazine. 

According to former editor-in-chief Sophie Lovell, the uncube magazine experiment ended because advertisers were not ready for the format that had been developed, which has still not been confirmed by BauNetz Media GmbH, is the Germany’s biggest online architecture portal with various platforms.

''Its not just publishing that needs to learn to adapt further and explore beyond traditional financial approaches” Lovell told WA. 

Until now, uncube featured many intriguing issues crossing the realms of the monographic, material and multidisciplinary- uncube launched into Space and traversed the Uncanny Valley, stared Death in the face and defied the Apocalypse; the magazine has also toured Iceland, Mexico City, Slovenia, Poland and – of course – Berlin- uncube celebrated the work of Hadid, Hecker, Hollein (and more), built stories from Carbon, Concrete and Bricks; rediscovered the Commune, Walked the Line and put it all into (digital) Storage. 

However, uncube’s archive of 43 issues and several hundred blog articles will remain online and accessible for readers to revisit and share, mentioned in the uncube's last post. In the latest issue, uncube briefly touches upon 'Athens' and its new paths creating informal urbanism with regard to the country's economic adversity. This issue depicts how bottom up aggregation developed through the myriad collaborations of the people that live there.

So, get lost in the last but also new issue of uncube 'Athens' and see this month's content index below:

Visual index of uncube-presents a harmonious pattern to navigate articles.

Essay: The Eye Of Greece, An introductory view of the city, Text: Fiona Shipwright, George Kafka

Found: Syntagma Square 1/6, The September 3, 1843 Revolution, Text: George Kafka

Essay: From The Bottom And The Top, Powering Athens through collectivity and informal initiatives by Cristina Ampatzidou, Text: Cristina Ampatzidou

Found: Syntagma Square 2/6, Syntagma Square metro station, Text: Rob Wilson

Photo Essay: Nowhere Now Here, A photo essay by Yiorgis Yerolymbos, Text: Yiorgis Yerolymbos

Found: Syntagma Square 3/6, “Syntagma Square” by Zafos Xagoraris and Aristide Antonas, Text: Fiona Shipwright

Essay: Back To The Garden, Athens and opportunities for new urban strategies by Aristide Antonas, Text: Aristide Antonas

Found: Syntagma Square 4/6, “After Dark” by Yiannis Hadjiaslanis, Text: Fiona Shipwright

Interview: Point Supreme, An interview by Ellie Stathaki, Text: Ellie Stathaki

Found: Syntagama Square 5/6, “Fountain” by Sofia Dona, Text: Sofia Dona

Focus: Ad Hoc Autonomy, Focus on Athenian maker projects by dpr-barcelona, Text: dpr-barcelona

Found: Syntagma Square 6/6, Solidarity with Refugees, Text: George Kafka

Photo Booth: In The Photo Booth With..., John Pawson, Text: Sophie Lovell, Florian Heilmeyer

Klaus: Klaustoon, VVVIII: Acropolis Now! (AKA: Dracma Queens), Text: Klaus

Further Reading: Further Reading

The uncube's editorial team and graphic designers were all freelancers working for Baunetz, and the editorial team has now formed their own editorial, graphics and publishing collective called 'andbeyond.xyz.' With this new adventure, the team will continue their experiments and practice in the future of publishing in architecture and beyond.

WA contacted the Baunetz Media GmbH but has not yet received a response.

All images courtesy of uncube

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