Istanbul, the unofficial Turkish capital, transcends the boundaries between society and architecture. Extreme urbanisation and Western ideals have resulted in a collision between contemporary and traditional cultures producing an amalgamation of cultural hybrids, failures, successes and unpredictable opportunities.

This condition is not dissimilar to the ever-changing South African context. With our history of political conflict from Colonial to Apartheid domination as well as paralleled rapid urbanization, we stand positioned with much to learn from a city where East meets West. The first-hand experience and study of these conditions, which manifest themselves across a variety of scales, will provide the Masters of Architecture class of 2013 with invaluable lessons applicable to the future design of cities in South Africa.