The Office for Protest Architecture was founded on the belief that architecture can be used as something more than just being another gift wrapping for corporate or totalitarian impositions. That architecture can be used as a political tool, or even an activist tool in order to instigate change within society, and that this can be achieved through the aid of the millions of people around the world who protest for a more democratic society.

In order to test the power of the inflatable as a protest device, the Office for Protest Architecture deployed their first inflatable in the Architectural Association. To achieve maximum interference, the main entrance to 36 Bedford Square was chosen as the specific site to block.

The Office for Protest Architecture is developing a number of inflatable devices to aid the millions of people around the world who protest for a more democratic society. A future protest in Istanbul will be the office's first real life test case. The devices range from inflatable bombs that bring awareness to tourists, to bodysuits that protect against excessive police violence, and from zeppelins that bypass media censorship, to cars that turn into inflatable barricades. Each device is targeted at specific communities protesters deal with, such as the police, media, tourists and impartial citizens.

In order to make tourists aware of the true face of Istanbul, and the state of Turkish democracy, and not just the romanticised touristic version, inflatable bombs are being developed. Each bomb is designed specifically for highly touristic locations such as the Hagia Sophia or the Grand Bazaar. The inflatable bombs will block people from entering or leaving spaces, in order to gain massive tourist attention, and on the facade of the inflatables media will be projected. Showing the tourists what is actually going on in Istanbul, with images from the protest and from the exhibited police violence trying to suppress the millions of people from protesting.

The inflatable bomb blocking tourists from leaving the main hall of the Hagia Sophia.

The inflatable bomb blocking tourists from leaving the main hall of the Hagia Sophia.

The body suit is a vest that can be instantly inflated to protect its wearer against excessive police brutality, such as water cannons and physical violence.

The media in turkey is heavily regulated and censored by the Turkish government. When last summer millions of people were protesting in Istanbul, none of the channels even mention this. It even went as far that at the height of the protest, the biggest TV channel of turkey was showing something as mundane as a documentary about penguins, while in the street people where bleeding and fighting for democracy.

In order to combat Istanbul's media censorship, and to bring unfiltered and unbiased media to as many citizens of Istanbul as possible, inflatable broadcasters will fly over the Bosporus projecting media into the city. Since the Bosporus is international waters, the Turkish government has no jurisdiction over anything that flies below fifty meters above sea level.